Inside the White House: The Cabinet

Overview

The video offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the Obama administration prepared for and held Cabinet meetings. Typically scheduled every two months, the meetings lasted about 90 minutes.

White House staff consulted policy, communications, and chief-of-staff teams, as well as Cabinet members, to set the agenda. Topics under consideration included Iraq, Afghanistan, an Asia trip, the budget, and job creation.

Meeting Focus and Purpose

President Obama praised the Cabinet’s expertise and said he wanted its members to know they had his attention and to maintain a strong sense of camaraderie. The featured meeting focused on jobs and the economy, with the goal of exploring every possible way to help people find work.

Cabinet members described in-person meetings as valuable for candid discussion, reading body language, sharing information, and aligning their work with the President’s priorities.

Cabinet Composition and Traditions

The Cabinet includes the heads of the 15 executive departments, along with officials given Cabinet rank. The group shown in the video includes 25 people, seated according to when their departments were established.

Cabinet meetings are closed so the President can receive frank advice. They are also among the rare occasions when the entire Cabinet gathers in one place, which is relevant to national-security planning.

One tradition allows a Cabinet officer to buy their chair when leaving office.

Presenters and Contributors

President Barack Obama, Chris Lu, Dan Pfeiffer, Mona Sutphen, Liz Smith, Bill Allman, Peter Orszag, Ken Salazar, Gary Locke, and Hillary Clinton.