Praxis II World and US History

Answer: D - The Constitution does not provide for the president's cabinet by name. Article II, section 2, clause 1 does discuss principal officers of government departments, but these officers are never given a specific title or recognized collectively as an institution unto themselves. The group of advisors to the president began in George Washington's term when he appointed four secretaries to oversee state issues, the treasury, war and defense, and serve as attorney general. The body continued to expand and earned the name “cabinet” during Andrew Jackson's presidency. However, laws have since been passed regarding the appointment of cabinet secretaries and including cabinet members in the presidential line of succession, thus institutionalizing the body.