The Cabinet is the executive body of a government. In the United States, the President nominates Cabinet members and the Senate confirms them. In practice, the President delegates much of his/her political authority to cabinet members, who oversee executive departments that manage day-to-day operations based on policies developed within the Cabinet. The President also appoints and directs cabinet-level officials to perform specific functions, including chairing Cabinet meetings.
Cabinet members typically serve at the pleasure of the president, who can dismiss them at any time without approval from the Senate. The president may also give Cabinet members wide latitude over their own departments, but these power-sharing arrangements are rare because the threat of dismissal is so strong. In addition, the president can organize the Cabinet as he/she sees fit, such as by instituting committees.
In countries with a presidential system, the heads of the executive branch (known as ministers) are members of the Cabinet. A cabinet in a parliamentary system is more like the legislative upper house, with its members elected by the legislature. In both cases, members of the Cabinet must publicly support a given policy, regardless of their private reservations.
The Arts and Crafts movement in the middle of the 19th century spurred a revival in traditional cabinet making, as a response to eclectic historicism and the growing popularity of’soulless’ machine-made production. Today, cabinetry is a popular hobby among woodworkers of all skill levels. Many amateurs have taken up the art, but there are still a few professional cabinet makers who create high-quality furniture.