Cabinet

Cabinet (government)

Cabinet (government), name applied to the collective body of advisers to the executive head of a parliamentary government. The composition and functions of the cabinet vary in different countries.

The cabinet originated early in the 15th century as a council advising the king of England. As part of the Privy Council, the king’s most important group of advisers, it met in the royal chamber or cabinet and was therefore called the cabinet council. At first this group had no special authority or legal standing; it was comparable to what was later known as a cabal or junta. In the 18th century, however, when the center of governmental power shifted from monarch to the British Parliament, the Cabinet became the council of the most important minister in the government, the prime minister. Since about 1780 the composition of the British Cabinet has been restricted to a limited number of important ministers, who are (with few exceptions) also department heads. From this organization developed the modern British Cabinet, with the prime minister at the head, collectively responsible to Parliament.

In the United States the Cabinet consists of the president’s advisers, each of whom is a department head. The legal status of the Cabinet is not defined except in federal statutes concerning the salaries and the method of appointing members.

Other parliamentary governments have adopted the cabinet as an institution. The cabinets of Latin America usually follow the U.S. type, whereas most European countries have adopted the British model. (1)

Concept of Cabinet

Note: explore also the meaning of this legal term in the American Ecyclopedia of Law.

Meaning of Cabinet

Here is a very short concept of cabinet in the European Union framework: The private office of a European VIP, especially a Commissioner.

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See Also

• Presidency
• Executive Power

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Notas y References

See Also

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Notes and References

1. Encarta Online Encyclopedia

See Also

Cabinet Responsibility in Constitutional Law

From the Comparative Constitutions Project: Cabinet responsibility refers to situations when the cabinet is collectively responsible for government policy.