Shadow Cabinet

By Dr. Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Numerous ideas have been proposed to deal with the objectionable regime that has taken over the federal government. One suggestion that I would like to see is a “shadow cabinet.” Several commentators have proposed this, the most prominent being Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny and On Freedom.

Snyder proposes a shadow cabinet like the system in England, where the opposition party appoints leading members to “shadow” each government minister. Shadow means to follow. The shadow ministers follow the actual ministers, following every move, criticizing their policy actions, and offering alternatives.

The leader of the opposition usually appoints Shadow Cabinet members. Currently, there are 24 such shadow ministers in England. Shadow ministers develop alternative policies, hold the government to account for its actions, and act as spokespeople for the opposition party in their specific policy areas. Importantly, as Snyder points out, shadow ministers are always available to comment on their area of expertise to the press.

This idea recalls the Black Cabinet in the United States during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration. These were an unofficial group of African-American advisors to FDR. During his 12 years as president, Roosevelt did not appoint or nominate a single African-American as a secretary or undersecretary in his Cabinet. However, 45 African-Americans worked in federal executive departments and New Deal agencies. Some of them formed an unofficial Federal Council of Negro Affairs to try to influence federal policy on race issues.

The Black Cabinet did not function as a loyal opposition to President Roosevelt and his administration. Instead, it opposed the ongoing exclusion of African-Americans from the federal government’s benefits. For example, with Eleanor Roosevelt’s support, it worked to ensure that African-Americans received ten percent of welfare funds. It also argued that Black citizens were underrepresented among recipients of aid under the New Deal. Significantly, the Black Cabinet set the stage for the post-war civil rights movement.

A current shadow cabinet in the U.S. could incorporate practices of the shadow cabinet in England and the long-ago Black Cabinet in the United States. They could criticize the Trump administration’s policies, including the actions of its “ministers” – its Cabinet and other high officials. And at the same time, they could advocate different policies and actions. While there would not be much hope in having the Trump administration adopt any of their suggestions, they would be educating the public about alternatives on the one hand and the positions of the “loyal” opposition on the other hand.

Without some kind of organized opposition, anti-democratic patterns and practices will be established and described as normal, and they will probably be believed to be so. This loyal opposition would be a consistent public voice pointing out the abnormal and harmful nature of the administration’s activities.

A shadow cabinet operation has the potential to transform American politics. For far too long, we have had a drumbeat of anti-democratic propaganda by right-wing politicians and powerful right-wing media without much substantial opposition until election time, when it is too late. This loyal opposition would perform the critical role of informing the public about alternatives and the kind of nation this could be.