Kitchen Cabinet

Kitchen Cabinet in U.S. history, popular name for the group of intimate, unofficial advisers of President Jackson . Early in his administration Jackson abandoned official cabinet meetings and used heads of departments solely to execute their departmental duties, while the policies of his administration were formed in meetings of the Kitchen Cabinet. The members of the informal cabinet included the elder Francis P. Blair , Duff Green , Isaac Hill, Amos Kendall , and William B. Lewis. John H. Eaton of the regular cabinet met with the group; Martin Van Buren also was taken into its confidence. Several members of the Kitchen Cabinet were able journalists and editors of influential regional newspapers. They continued to wield effective pens in defense of the administration measures after they came to Washington. Kendall—perhaps the ablest and most influential member—vigorously defended the policies of Andrew Jackson in the Globe, the administration journal edited by Francis P. Blair. Following the cabinet reorganization of 1831, the Kitchen Cabinet became less important.

kitchen cabinet Unofficial advisers to a President or Prime Minister. The term was coined during the first years of Andrew JACKSON's Presidency in the USA (1829–37). In his first years of office Jackson's official cabinet contained many strong but opposed personalities, including his first Vice-President, John Calhoun, and his Secretary for War, John Eaton. Thus while official cabinet meetings were held as seldom as possible Jackson took most of his advice from VAN BUREN (later his second Vice-President and successor), John Eaton, Amos Kendall, Francis Blair (newspaper editors), and various personal friends appointed as minor government officials. After a cabinet reorganization in 1831 the President relied rather more on members of his official cabinet.

kitch·en cab·i·net • n. a group of unofficial advisers to the holder of an elected office who are considered to be unduly influential.