In Lindsay Chervinky's The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, the reader is afforded the opportunity to learn how President George Washington utilized the managerial skills he learned as commander of the Continental Army and incorporated them into the creation of the first presidential cabinet. The cabinet, functioning in a similar fashion as Washington's most trusted military advisors from the Revolutionary War were essential in assisting the first president in the decision making process related to both domestic and international issues. The narrative highlights how Washington relied upon the opinions of Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Know, and Edmund Randolph both in oral and written form to guide him through his use of the executive powers of the presidency. Through detailed analysis of incidents such as Shays Rebellion, the Neutrality Crisis, the Whiskey Rebellion, and the Jay Treaty, Chervinsky shows the inner workings of the cabinet. More importantly, Chervinsky highlights Washington's skill in managing four differing personalities, who despite personal animosity between some (jefferson and Hamiliton) worked to ensure the executive branch was not merely a figurehead position, but one with relevant functions within the national government. Towards the end of Washington's presidency, we are introduced to new members of the cabinet and are shown how the president began to rely less on his cabinet, other than Randolph for important decisions. We see a president who by this point in his presidency has undergone intense criticism and dealt with government authorities (federal and state) who were unwilling to work with him for the good of the nation, but more so for the good of either the Federalist party or the Republican-Democratic party. We see the frustration in Washington as these political opponents often tried to undermine the executive power of the President. But we are also shown how Washington stuck to his foundation and used his cabinet and other advisors to defeat the opposition and achieve results for the good of the nation. While not all of the decisions may have been the correct one's, they were not made through impulsive acts. They were made through careful deliberations and consultations and a thorough review of evidence. Concluding the narrative, Chervinsky brings to light the influence Washington's use of the cabinet had on his successors up to the modern era. While not all presidents have had the same success as Washington had with his cabinet or have utilized the cabinet in the same manner as Washington, the tools and techniques he used within his own cabinet carried over to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and many more presidents that followed. For those seeking an understanding of Washington's inner circle of advisors and how they along with the first President managed the first eight years of the executive office, this narrative is the perfect start.
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About the author
The origins of the Presidential Cabinet
Dr. Chervinsky has given us another team of rivals to explain the major influences George Washington still has on the American presidency and as her reflection back to Doris Goodwin’s award-winning work on Lincoln’s leadership. Surprisingly, this institution has had little attention. Oh, what glories for a historian to find a subject like this.The Cabinet explores the origins of an American Institution created during the fluid time of George Washington’s first administration. The Constitution Convention’s discussions of a formal cabinet, like the British maintained, were rejected out of memories of the too recent Revolutionary War and suspicions of British institutions. As the first President and the most respected leader from the Revolution, Washington was the only expected person to tackle the ominous task of putting life into the Constitutional language of the American presidency. Everything he did, he knew, would become precedent.Washington did not begin his administration with a cabinet in mind, but it had been his practice from earlier military service to assemble a Council of War at which to gain group support, new ideas, or diverse opinions and expertise. As any good leader, he selected advice and opinions from strong personalities not fearful of his reputation but men of strong ego as well.The cabinet was assembled, like his former commanding officers in the Continental Army, of secretaries of each federal department managed within the Executive Branch. At first, the Senate was the assumed official advisors for the president, especially in foreign affairs. This proved fruitless and Washington instead selected the Secretaries he had already chosen to discuss affairs in their departments. This grew through each national crisis into an advisory body and support group. This team, composed of men of very divergent opinions and large egos included Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph. Dr. Chervinsky demonstrates Washington’s leadership mastery through his ability to curb the arguments, and personalities of these four dominating men. They were all members of the political elite. Each prided on previous histories with Washington and their Revolutionary credentials.Even though this fellowship did not survive the two terms it set an expected precedent that allowed later Presidents to select their own favored advisors. It also set up the practice of powerful executives that were not dependent on the legislature but capable of creating a check to that branch.It would be a very sloppy history to move directly from Washington’s administration to current politics without fully reviewing the two centuries of change between. This is the origins of an important American political institution most of us have watched. The numbers are much larger, and they are no longer all men, but the egos if feel have not shrunk.
