CABINET. When an important question is to come before the British House of Commons, all eyes in the crowded assemblage are turned to a little group of men who occupy the front benches at the right of the Speaker or presiding officer. These are the men who will propose the course the government has agreed to follow, for they, with other members from the House of Lords, constitute the cabinet. Their pro posals are almost sure to be adopted, for they are the leaders of the majority party in the Commons. And when the measures are passed, the members of the cabinet, who are also the heads of the great adminis trative departments of the government (foreign affairs, war, navy, etc.), will be responsible for putting them into execution. Each member of the British cabinet is thus (1) a member of the council or com mittee which shapes the policy of the government, (2) a leader of the dominant party in the upper or lower house of Parliament, and (3) usually the chief of a great administrative department as well.
The cabinet has therefore been defined as " the link that binds together the legislative and executive branches." It is really a steering committee of the party which has a majority in the House of Commons.
The prime minister, as its head, is the undisputed leader of his party.
If for any reason a majority in the lower house should refuse to follow the lead of the prime minister or should vote against a bill which the cabinet has proposed, one of two things happens. Either the cabinet resigns, and the opposition party takes over the management of the government; or else the king is advised to dissolve the House of Commons and hold a new election. This is really a referendum vote of the country on the question at issue. If the majority of the new house agrees with the cabinet, the min isters remain in office. But if a majority still opposes it, the cabinet must resign and a new one at once takes its place. The members of the former cabinet then become leaders of the opposition in Parliament.
Under the present system of government it is to the prime minister and the cabinet, rather than to the king, that the people of the country look for direction, for the king can do nothing without the approval of his ministers. This system of responsible cabinet government has been copied by England's self-govern ing colonies, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and by many other nations, including France, Italy, Belgium, etc. Its greatest merit is
that it concentrates responsibility and prevents inter minable disputes between the legislative and the executive branches.
Legally the British cabinet is only a committee of the privy council, but the committee is now more important than the council. All the members of the latter meet only at the beginning of a new reign or when the reigning sovereign announces his or her marriage. Membership in the council, which is usually for life, is often given now to distinguished persons as a mark of honor, while all the cabinet officers and ministers become councilors by virtue of their office. The ministry includes not only the mem bers of the cabinet, but also other important officials who go out of office when the cabinet resigns.
When we talk of "the cabinet" in the United States government, we mean quite a different arrangement.
The president appoints (subject to confirmation by the Senate) the heads of the great administrative departments—the secretary of state, secretary of the treasury, secretary of war, attorney-general, post master-general, secretary of the navy, secretary of the interior, secretary of agriculture, secretary of com merce, and secretary of labor—and from time to time he calls these men together as a " cabinet" and asks their advice. But they are not members of Congress, nor do they appear in Congress to speak to either house. They are responsible only to the president, and he may dismiss them at any time. Nor is he required to take their advice if it is contrary to his own judgment. This is illustrated by an incident told of Lincoln. At one time he brought before the cab inet a proposition which he favored, but every member of his cabinet voted against it. He announced the vote thus : "Seven nays, one aye; the ayes have it." Most important of all, the president and cabinet (who correspond to the prime minister and cabinet of Great Britain) do not have to resign if their policy is rej ected by Congress. On the other hand, the presi dent cannot order new elections at any time that he wishes the people to judge between him and Congress. So conflicts between the legislative and executive branches in the United States are very common.