Talk:Kitchen Cabinet

Bush's Kitchen Cabinet

Could Karl Rove be considered a member of Bush's kitchen cabinet? He doesn't hold a cabinet position but I don't think there's anyone anywhere who'd deny that he's a very important figure in the Administration. -Kasreyn 04:50, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

Who could be considered members of Bush's Kitchen Cabinet?

In the UK the term Kitchen Cabinet this is all wrong applied at least as far back as the Harold Wilson premiership of the 1960s. It has become fashionable to see Tony Blair as the inheritor of the Thatcher style of government, but to those of us who remember that far back it is clear that it was the Wilson/Kennedy era that inspired him. (User - Chris May 22 Feb 06)

Original Research

The term has been adopted in recent years by those in British politics as a term of abuse for the way in which British Prime Ministers (especially Tony Blair) have sidelined the traditional democratic cabinet structures to rely far more on a close group of non-elected advisors and allies. Examples of this practice include Blair's reliance on advisor Andrew Adonis before his appointment to the cabinet. Traditionally, the role of creation of education policy would have rested on the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when formulating policy. The new found autonomy and power of the Prime Minister's Office in parliamentary democracies (whether in India, Canada or Great Britain) means the formulation of a "kitchen cabinet" or inner cabinet may well become a regular occurrence -- thus challenging the whole premise of collective responsibility and perhaps even parliamentary sovereignty.

This all seems like original research and synthesis of new ideas to me. Can anyone provide references? The second part, in particular, seems to violate WP:NPOV. I am going to remove if it remains unsourced. /Blaxthos 13:29, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

While I don't doubt it, if it can't be found out I wont be very sad to see it go. 68.39.174.238 07:44, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Month and a half with no challenge. Removed. /Blaxthos 15:17, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

"When they would meet it would often be a place where they would become drunk"

"When they would meet it would often be a place where they would become drunk"

This is a most presumptive statement about an important part of American political process, and unless someone can back it up as both factual and relevant, it should be removed.

The kitchen cabinet is an advisory circle of trusted friends of the President, people he can go to and brainstorm without fear of leaks or being on the record. Generally one does not get to be President without climbing a long ladder, and in most cases, the friends one picks up along the way who become such advisors are intelligent, well informed and reliable. It can serve an important role in government.

Drinking and getting drunk are two different behaviours, and one would have to question if the purpose of close advisors is to get drunk, or to discuss major issues facing the President.

I am putting this up as a discussion page before jumping in and removing it, as I look for collective wisdom. Anyone out there in this virtual kitchen cabinet? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by ClassicalScholar (talk • contribs) 07:32, 12 April 2007 (UTC). ClassicalScholar 07:33, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

I agree with your assessment. So changed. /Blaxthos 08:18, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Origins

it is many years since I studied Asian history, but I recall my lecturer saying that the term "kitchen cabinet" dates from the reign of the Japanese emperors when the real decisions were taken by the committee who were supposedly running the royal kitchens, about 600 years before the US used it. Anyone know about this? Pukerua (talk) 02:19, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

I thought the Shogun made all the decisions anyway, whilst the Emperor wrote poetry? Johnbod (talk) 02:43, 10 July 2008 (UTC)