George Washington and His Cabinet with Lindsay Chervinsky
Hey crew - I am super stoked to welcome Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky to The Rogue Historian! Lindsay is an expert on the presidency, the cabinet and U.S. government institutions. She is currently Scholar in Residence at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona College and Senior Fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies. She is the author of the award-winning book: The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, which was published by Harvard University Press – we’ll be discussing this one today. Her work has also been published in TIME, the Washington Post, USA Today, The Hill, the Journal of the Early Republic, Law and History Review, and more.
Let me tell you - I loved this book. For realz, I found it to be a smart, enlightening, and accessible take on a very important institution that has some interesting and surprising origins…and I recommend it for anyone who follows the executive branch. So suffice it to say, it was great to be able to speak with the author - we discuss:
Why there has been relatively little work done on the executive cabinet and how Lindsay was drawn to the subject
Political parties - something the founders opposed but went on to form anyway
The virtues of citizenship and civic responsibility
Oppositional factions in the cabinet
What the Constitution says about all this
British origins
How Washington was aware of his position as a setter of precedent and the things he avoided during his administration
The idea of a prime minister in an American context
Advice from the Supreme Court?
Alexander Hamilton as a cultural phenomenon and as a “lightening rod” for undermining separation of powers
The cabinet and the Neutrality Crisis of the 1790s
The cabinet and the Whiskey Rebellion
Some members of the cabinet who deserve more love…
Dealing with trolls on the Internet and accusations of pushing a partisan agenda
Of course you’ll want to get Lindsay’s book - I am sure you will love it as much as I did…then check out her website to get up to speed on any publications, podcasts, and speaking engagements. You should also follow her on Twitter and ask the big questions! Just like me, she is very active on the Socials and looks forward to engaging with the public. AND…don’t forget to subscribe to The Rogue Historian Podcast and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or your favorite app so you never ever ever ever miss a show. That would be dumb.
With compliments,
Keith