# Can the President choose any number of cabinet members? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2018, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807 "2018-05-08T09:17:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/1 "2018-05-08T09:17:00Z")
Hi Can the President choose any number of cabinet members? Is 15 the maximum? Have any of them ever lived in the White House? I look forward to your feedback ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/2 "2018-05-08T09:21:11Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Hi > > Can the President choose any number of cabinet members? Is 15 the maximum? Have any of them ever lived in the White House? > > I look forward to your feedback > **[Cabinet of Donald Trump](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Donald_Trump)** > > Donald Trump assumed office as president of the United States on January 20, 2017, and his term ended on January 20, 2021. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution. > Before confirmation and during congressional hearings a high-level career member of an executive department heads this pre-confirmed cabinet on an acting basis. The Cabinet's creation was part of ... Wikipedia For purposes of historical comparison, this chart only includes Cabinet roles, and not the cabinet-level positions. However, note that the number of Cabinet positions has varied from administration to administration: under Nixon there were twelve such roles in 1968, whereas under Trump in 2016 there are fifteen. After Trump had been president for a full three weeks, the number of his approved cabinet members stood at 7 as compared to 12 for Obama and no vacancies for George W. Bush. Whereas all but one cabinet nominee were approved in less than a day for President Bill Clinton.[78] ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/3 "2018-05-08T10:19:29Z")
The Cabinet is composed of the chief officers of all the executive departments. Those departments are created by Congress, so Congress decides how big the Cabinet is. The reason for the increase in size since Nixon is because new executive departments have been created: The Department of Energy in 1977, Department of Education in 1980, and Department of Homeland Security in 2002. There are additional officers who are sometimes described as “cabinet-level” which just means they get the same pay grade and seniority is the actual cabinet officers, but they are not part of the Cabinet. Some of those offices are within the president’s discretion to create or promote as he sees fit, and others are statutory, such as the US Trade Representative and the Director of National Intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/4 "2018-05-08T10:43:38Z")
The “Cabinet” can also describe the set of people who advise the President, and the President is of course free to listen or not to the advice of any person or group of people. If there are people who the President relies on for advice but who don’t have any official position (or at least, not any official position high enough to be relevant), they’re sometimes referred to as the “Kitchen Cabinet”. But for purposes of official laws relating to the Cabinet, like the line of succession or determining that the President is unfit to carry out his duties, it’s just the heads of the executive departments created by Congress. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/5 "2018-05-08T11:45:41Z")
Congress determines the number of paid official positions and approves people to those positions. If the president wants to he can listen to any number of unpaid advisors. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/6 "2018-05-08T13:43:20Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Congress determines the number of paid official positions and approves people to those positions. That’s true for the senior positions in the executive departments (except it’s just the Senate that confirms appointments) but the president has a great deal of discretion in how he organizes and hires within the Executive Office of the President. Most of those positions require no confirmation, and that’s where the president gets most of his policy advice and analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/7 "2018-05-08T14:23:11Z")
I know of no cabinet member that has ever lived in the White House. It’s the Executive Mansion, i.e. the home of the President. A few close friends and relatives have lived with the President’s family, but not outsiders. It would be seem as excessively weird. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/8 "2018-05-08T15:20:42Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I know of no cabinet member that has ever lived in the White House. It’s the Executive Mansion, i.e. the home of the President. A few close friends and relatives have lived with the President’s family, but not outsiders. It would be seem as excessively weird. Harry Hopkins lived in the White House starting in May 1940 for the next 3 1/2 years. He was still Secretary of Commerce until September 1940 but was mainly FDR’s troubleshooter. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/9 "2018-05-08T15:30:19Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Harry Hopkins lived in the White House starting in May 1940 for the next 3 1/2 years. He was still Secretary of Commerce until September 1940 but was mainly FDR’s troubleshooter. Harry Hopkins is an absolutely fascinating guy. He’s also probably one of the most influential people in the 20th century’s shift of policy-making power away from the executive departments and towards the White House staff. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/10 "2018-05-08T15:35:46Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I know of no cabinet member that has ever lived in the White House. It’s the Executive Mansion, i.e. the home of the President. A few close friends and relatives have lived with the President’s family, but not outsiders. It would be seem as excessively weird. That brings up another question. Does anyone actually live at the White House, other than the First Family? Security personnel, household staff, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/11 "2018-05-08T15:52:26Z")
There were servants’ quarters in the White House residence in the 19th century, but they’ve all been replaced by what is now the ground floor rooms including the Oval reception room and miscellaneous offices. I’m pretty sure the household staff all live offsite now. Security personnel definitely don’t live there; it’s a nine-to-five (or other shift) for them. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/12 "2018-05-08T15:54:27Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Harry Hopkins lived in the White House starting in May 1940 for the next 3 1/2 years. He was still Secretary of Commerce until September 1940 but was mainly FDR’s troubleshooter. Thanks Jim’s Son. Thank you all. Very helpful ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/13 "2018-05-08T15:59:34Z")
Historically, the trend has been a larger number, of course. It appears that it has only shrunk twice, in fact: in 1949, when the departments of the Army, Navy and Air Force were merged into Defense, and in 1971 when the Post Office became a GSE, eliminating the Post Office Department, and the position of Postmaster General. Order of presidential succession by cabinet members is roughly in order of creation of their departments (“Defense” retains the order of the old “Department of War”/“Department of the Army” - right after Secretary of State). This made the Postmaster General pretty high on the list - the fourth created, in 1792. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/14 "2018-05-08T16:34:34Z")
Nitpick: There’s still a Postmaster General, it’s just no longer a cabinet position. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/15 "2018-05-08T17:39:16Z")
Noted. Add “as a cabinet position” to the end of my sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/16 "2018-05-08T18:10:00Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Harry Hopkins lived in the White House starting in May 1940 for the next 3 1/2 years. He was still Secretary of Commerce until September 1940 but was mainly FDR’s troubleshooter. Right. He was there as a close friend, not as an outsider and irrelevant to his cabinet position. In fact, he had effectively resigned the position in 1939 because his serious hemochromatosis made it impossible to continue. He retained the title without doing the job. What energy he had went into helping Roosevelt, and being close to hand. While it’s technically true that he both was a cabinet secretary and living at the White House, it’s as close to practically meaningless as it’s possible to be. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/17 "2018-05-08T20:35:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Exapno Mapcase** : > > I know of no cabinet member that has ever lived in the White House. I know of one, but not at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/18 "2018-05-08T22:23:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I know of one, but not at the same time. Only one, if you’re going to play that game? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/19 "2018-05-08T22:43:27Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Only one, if you’re going to play that game? For the Department of State alone, six former Secretaries later became President. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807/20 "2018-05-08T22:58:55Z")
I’ll confess that historical Secretaries of State (or other cabinet secretaries) are not a strong point of my knowledge. I’d be willing to bet, though, that not many served on the Cabinet after living in the White House. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-president-choose-any-number-of-cabinet-members/813807.md?page=2)