Realizing that the appointment of cabinet members required respect for regional preferences, Jackson nevertheless desired to keep a cadre of close personal advisors at hand since Washington, despite Jackson's experience, was still somewhat alien territory for the Westerner. Besides, he was not a strong administrator, had little respect for experts-political or otherwise-and often made unwise choices. Yet as a strong and popular leader he knew how to get things done if those close to him kept him on track. He assembled what became known as his kitchen cabinet, since they were said to hold meetings in the White House kitchen. In contrast to the official "parlor cabinet," these close advisers would assist the president in formulating policy. Members of this informal group included Duff Green, editor of U. S. Telegraph; Frank Blair of The Globe; and Amos Kendall, known as Jackson's alter ego. It is well to recall that newspaper men in those times generally operated in the service of their political favorites. Secretary of State Martin Van Buren was also a member of the group, the only "regular" cabinet member to be so privileged. Jackson's official cabinet was undistinguished, except for Van Buren, and even he had been a political appointment to satisfy northern interests.
Jackson quickly adopted a system for replacing federal officeholders with his own supporters, a system his supporters referred to as "rotation in office." Opponents derisively dubbed Jackson's process "the spoils system."54 Yet Jackson saw the process as beneficial for a democracy, as it was intended to inhibit the development of an entrenched bureaucracy and to allow more citizens to participate in the routine tasks of government. Although the concept was not calculated to produce efficiency in governmental operations, Jackson felt that the average man was perfectly capable of doing government work. In fact, most of Jackson's appointees to government positions were not common man but rather were drawn from the social and intellectual elites of the time.
Because Jackson viewed himself as a protector of the people's rights against the power of the federal Congress, political relationships in Washington during the Jackson years were stormy. Jackson repeatedly challenged leaders in Congress, and leading senators and congressmen in turn saw Jackson as arbitrary and overbearing. Clashes between Jackson and the Congress over issues such as the bank, tariffs, internal improvements and other issues were sharp and deep. Jackson's liberal use of the presidential veto disturbed some elements 48 in Congress, and his opponents began to refer to him as position cohered into a new political party, the Whigs.
World History
