The Political Practices of the First Presidents

Article II of the U.S. Constitution formed the presidency, but it provides scant details about the day-to-day details of governing. After his inauguration, George Washington set about creating countless precedents guiding the president’s social interactions, relationship with the other branches of government, and executive branch management. His immediate successors, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, largely followed his precedent. Washington’s creation of the cabinet proved to be one of his most influential legacies. This chapter explores the cabinets of the first three presidents—how they organized their cabinet meetings, how they interacted with their subordinates, and when they convened cabinet meetings. By evaluating the similarities and differences between the first three cabinets, this chapter also reveals the continuities between the first administrations and the ongoing evolution of the executive branch.