Roles:
- Chief of Staff: The head of the President's office- his main advisor on policy, often negotiates with Congress on President's behalf, helps the President determine his meeting schedule
- Secretary of State: The head of the U.S. Department of State. Decides how to conduct diplomacy with other nations. The face of the United States to other nations.
- Secretary of War: Main war advisor. Helps the President decide on when war or use of soldiers is appropriate. Offers a more decisive option that diplomacy
- Attorney General: Main legal advisor to the President. Helps decide both when the President's ideas break the laws and if there are ways to avoid legal issues when moving the President's ideas forward
- Secretary of the Treasury: Main Economic advisor to the President. Helps him make decisions about the economy and how to best grow the U.S. Economy.
What do I do in my position as cabinet member?
You will take on the role of members of Jackson’s cabinet. Each major event that occurs throughout his presidency will provide an opportunity for you to advise the president on what he should do. Your job will be find facts that relate to your position and develop a brief (short summary) of what Jackson should do as the President. Each member of the cabinet will include a portion of what will become the daily brief for the President.
What is a brief?
A brief is a summary of the information most important to the President. It is aimed at helping him make the best decisions possible without him having to read pages upon pages for each decision. A declassified example of a brief from the 1960s is available here
What is a brief?
A brief is a summary of the information most important to the President. It is aimed at helping him make the best decisions possible without him having to read pages upon pages for each decision. A declassified example of a brief from the 1960s is available here
- Keep in mind his political beliefs and how you can support them with what you find.
- If the best solution to an event seems to contradict what Jackson believes, how can you adjust it to fit his beliefs?
- Living in the present, you have the advantage of time to see what actually happened and how well it worked. Would you advise Jackson to do anything differently? Why?