Washington Administrations - Washington's Advisers
Washington's Advisers
An example of the improvised nature of government in the first days of the republic was the fact that Washington created the cabinet although it was not authorized by the Constitution. Establishing another significant precedent, Congress granted Washington unfettered power of appointment to cabinet posts. His cabinet (though it did not operate precisely as a modern cabinet does) included the heads of the major departments of the government: state, Treasury, war, and attorney general. Given his preference to govern by consensus, Washington consulted regularly with his cabinet, thus setting an important precedent for his successors. For the most part, Washington's chief advisers were also members of his cabinet.
Notwithstanding his own preference for consensus, Washington's two key advisers, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, had opposing viewpoints on the major political issues of the day. Born in...
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