Cabinets advise chief executives and oversee important areas of government, but their size, selection, and influence differ across political systems. This lesson compares cabinet roles in presidential and parliamentary regimes.
In the United States, the president’s cabinet consists of the vice president and the heads of the 15 executive departments. Most department heads are called secretaries; the head of the Department of Justice is the attorney general. Their formal authority primarily comes from leading departments and supervising the bureaucracy, rather than from membership in a collective presidential decision-making body.
All flashcards
What is the composition of the U.S. presidential cabinet?
It consists of the vice president and the heads of the 15 executive departments. Most department heads are called secretaries; the Department of Justice is headed by the attorney general.
What does “first among equals” mean in a parliamentary cabinet?
The prime minister leads the cabinet but is expected to consult ministers, who have substantive roles in government and policy formation.
What is a cabinet portfolio?
A portfolio is the policy area or government department a minister or secretary oversees.
What is a kitchen cabinet?
An informal circle of trusted advisers that operates alongside a president’s official cabinet.
What is personalization of the chief executive?
The growing importance of a leader’s individual identity, public profile, and personal political authority.
Quiz questions
In parliamentary systems, what institutional role do cabinet ministers generally have?Answer: They are generally members of parliament as well as government ministers.
What is generally true of U.S. cabinet nominations?Answer: Senate confirmation is generally expected, and nominations rarely fail confirmation.
What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan, proposed by George Marshall in 1947?Answer: To provide aid for rebuilding Western Europe after World War II.
How does Keith Dowding characterize the growing power of prime ministers?Answer: Policy-making has become more centralized around prime ministers, not simply more presidential.
What can make cabinet officials more visible to the public?Answer: A major policy proposal, controversy, or change in government.
Based on Introduction to Political Science by Mark Carl Rom, Masaki Hidaka, Rachel Bzostek Walker (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.