The History and Significance of the Cabinet

The History and Significance of the Cabinet
Posted by Chris Lu on December 14, 2009 at 05:09 PM EST
The President has stated on many occasions that one of his proudest accomplishments has been assembling a Cabinet of such high caliber. As the Cabinet Secretary in the White House, I have the privilege of interacting with this amazing group every day, and can attest first-hand that his pride is more than merited. Every day, the President calls on the Cabinet to provide him with advice on pressing national and international issues. He also values their work in running the federal departments and agencies, ensuring that the government always works on behalf of the American people.

Since the country's founding, Presidents have been meeting behind closed doors with their Cabinets. That's to be expected, since it's important for the President to be able to speak candidly with his most trusted advisors. Indeed, a Cabinet meeting is so critical to the functioning of our government that it's one of the rare occasions that the entire Cabinet is allowed by Secret Service to be in the same place at the same time. However, in keeping with President Obama's commitment to openness and transparency, we wanted to give the public a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how a Cabinet meeting comes together:


Chris Lu is Cabinet Secretary for the White House