Abstract
This article reports the results of an investigation into the political opportunities and constraints which confront a President when deciding who will serve in his cabinet. The primary focus is on the reasons offered for presidential selections of individuals to serve. This has been accomplished with a newly collected set of data on the initial appointments of first-term Presidents, from Washington to Reagan. Representation theory has proven useful as a general framework for analysis. In addition, realignment theory helps to explain historical variation in the impact of representational criteria. Results reflect the importance of representation in cabinet selection, with Presidents striving to foster the impression that the cabinet is a well-rounded, balanced and representative institution. Over the period studied, shifting electoral cleavages have had significant impact on the criteria of recruitment to the cabinet.
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