The Cabinet

Until the second year of George Washington’s presidency, there was no executive cabinet – because the Continental Congress didn’t want there to be one. How did Washington navigate around Congress and all those opposed to executive overreach? Intricately detailing Washington’s course of action in his first term, Lindsay Chervinsky lays out the crises he faced and the steps he took to establish a close set of advisors to guide him through the issues that plagued the early union. History’s “far-reaching consequences” are not to be overlooked, as Chervinsky argues that the formation of a cabinet not only lit a spark of partisanship within the United States but also increasingly expanded the power of the executive branch – a debate that continues today on both sides of the aisle. Lindsay Chervinsky is a historian at the White House Historical Association, Scholar-in-Residence at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona College and a Senior Fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies. She teaches at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. She holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Davis and a B.A. in history and political science from George Washington University. Jeffrey A. Engel is founding director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University and Professor in the Clements Department of History. He graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University. Engel also studied at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University, and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He taught American history, international relations, and grand strategy at the University of Wisconsin, Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Haverford College. At Texas A&M's Bush School of Government & Public Service he was a professor and Director of Programming for the Scowcroft Institute for International Affairs. Engel has authored or edited twelve books on American foreign policy. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers. Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate