Cabinet Rank
Some people I know were less-than-thrilled to hear that Susan Rice would be heading to New York as our UN Ambassador since they would have rather seen her take a post in DC where she could help ensure that the Gates/Jones/Clinton “team of rivals” doesn’t manage to lock out all of the younger longtime Obama supporters from midcareer posts in the national security bureaucracy. But at the same time, folks I know who work on UN issues were thrilled for what amounts to the same reason — Rice has a longstanding relationship with the President-Elect and sending a close adviser to Turtle Bay signals an intention to upgrade the priority given to that suite of issues. It also makes it much more likely that our UN Ambassador will be able to get the White House’s attention than was the case in the Bush years.
Today’s New York Times mini-profile on Rice indicates that Obama intends to formalize this hoped-up elevation of the priority of UN issues by restoring the UN Ambassador post to its “cabinet rank” status. Since no modern president actually governs via cabinet meetings, the practical upshot of these “rank” decisions isn’t huge, but it’s an important tool presidents use to signal their priorities and I think it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
49 Responses to “Cabinet Rank”
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December 1st, 2008 at 10:15 am
this cannot be allowed to stand.
the name “rice” now has an iron grip on black female diplomats!
free the black female diplomats from this grip like rice!
December 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am
How could anyone possibly improve upon the steely, stellar performance of Captain Kangaragnarok?
December 1st, 2008 at 10:21 am
Why can’t I muster any give-a-damn about the career prospects of young Future Very Serious People who seek to displace the current Very serious People?
December 1st, 2008 at 10:27 am
People have compared Obama to FDR.
One of the hallmarks of how the US responded to WWII was the rapid promotion of young talent, such as Eisenhower, combined with the rapid demotion of dead wood.
To the extent the FDR / Obama parallel applies, we should expect an equally rapid turnover. To the extent that he relies instead upon “experience,” we should conclude that some other analogy would apply.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:44 am
An unfortunate choice of words, dontya think? Or was Warner being sneakily snarky?
December 1st, 2008 at 10:45 am
Interesting point, Duncan. Let me add a couple of points.
The process didn’t start before the war. FDR didn’t set out with the purpose of replacing old hands with young talent. He just responded as specific old hands demonstrated that they needed replacement, through their actions during operations.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:47 am
If the leak that Jim Steinberg will be Deputy SecState is correct, then the Obama people will not be frozen out of jobs at Foggy Bottom.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:17 am
My understanding* is that “Cabinet rank” is more of an org chart thing. The person reports directly to the Pres, rather than through some other department. Rather than think of the Cabinet as all the people who meet in the same room to decide policy, I think of them as all of the agencies that have direct access to the President.
* Based on basically nothing.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
It’s also important because “cabinet rank” means “able to get an item on the Cabinet’s agenda.” In other words, “up for discussion with the president at a Cabinet meeting.” It also has an impact on what are typically called “principals meetings” of senior aides in a given policy area. Cabinet rank pretty much guarantees “principal” status, which also affects who gets copied on what information at the White House. I don’t want to overstate it, but there are actual concrete reasons for which this is - or can be - significant.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Some people I know are thrilled that Hillary will be handling foreign policy without interference from “younger longtime Obama supporters.”
December 1st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Wait a minute. If the president doesn’t govern via cabinet ten how does he get things done?
December 1st, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I agree with Bolton. Rice should report to Clinton, not to Obama. His lack of any management experience shows.
Bob W
December 1st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
If the leak that Jim Steinberg will be Deputy SecState is correct, then the Obama people will not be frozen out of jobs at Foggy Bottom.
This would also be good because it will prevent him from writing any new Meat Loaf albums.
Oh wait a minute…
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:28 am
Lines like this remind me of Newt Gingrich thinking he could run the American government from the House of Representatives.
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