I’ve always been fascinated by how individuals can influence policy, government, and events. At no time did a small group of people have more power over the development of government and events than in the 1790s when there were five people in the cabinet. Sure there are plenty of books on Jefferson, Hamilton, and their tempestuous relationship, but I wanted to know where the institution came from. It’s not in the Constitution, no additional legislation created the body, and everything I read seemed to assume the cabinet’s existence as inevitable. When I decided to tackle this question, I spent some Read more