Members Circle Cabinet President's Power Secretary Responsible Access

The President of the United States has the power to "appoint" (name someone to fill a position) members of the "Cabinet," who lead executive departments. The Cabinet members traditionally serve as some of the President's closes and most "trusted" (believed; relied upon) advisors. But not all Cabinet members have equal access to the President.

In general, the President has an inner circle of Cabinet members whose advice is "adhered to" (followed) more closely and "carries more weight" (has more power or importance; is more influential). This inner circle usually "comprises" (is made up of) the "Secretary of State" (responsible for "foreign' (international) affairs), the "Secretary of the Treasury" (concerned with finance, money, and the economy), the "Secretary of Defense" (responsible for the military), and the "Attorney General" (responsible for providing legal advice). Together, these four department "heads" (leaders) are referred to as "The Big 4." These are the most influential Cabinet members.

The four members of the president's inner circle also "correspond to" (are tied or related to) the four "original" (from the beginning) departments of the federal government. In other words, these were the four departments that existed under the country's first president, George Washington.

Some people are "concerned over" (worried about) the amount of influence that the members of the inner circle can have over the President's decisions, since Cabinet members are not elected by the general public. They argue that their appointment without "representation" (having been elected) gives them "undue" (inappropriate and excessive) power in the "federal" (national) government.