(Press Herald)
In what has been yet another tumultuous week for the White House, the Trump administration appears to have kicked off a Cabinet reshuffle, where several Cabinet members are replaced at once or in close succession.
Though they’re not uncommon in Western democracies, they’re a rarely used political tool in the United States. In parliamentary systems, a Cabinet reshuffle allows the governing majority party to revamp its administration in the face of slipping public support. It’s easier to accomplish in a parliamentary democracy, as Cabinet members don’t face confirmation fights. In the United States, it only regularly occurs at the beginning of a president’s second term, when turnover of Cabinet members traditionally gives the president the chance to appoint someone new to fill their place.
Things haven’t been quite so stable under the Trump administration. The original secretary of homeland security, John Kelly, lasted just seven months on the job before he switched over to become White House chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, a former Georgia congressman, also resigned after less than a year in office following a controversy over his use of government aircraft. They’re not the only ones to leave this administration, just the highest ranking; a variety of staff have left their jobs as well.
For 14 seasons on “The Apprentice” most of the episodes ended with Trump telling one of the contestants, “You’re fired.”
‘We Disagreed on Things.’ read President Trump’s remarks after firing Rex Tillerson
Earlier this month President Trump boasted about his management by conflict style:
“I like conflict. I like having two people with different points of view. And I certainly have that. And then I make a decision. But I like watching it. I like seeing it. I think it’s the best way to go. I like different points of view.”
What Trump calls ‘conflict,’ many Americans call ‘chaotic’
It’s his cabinet. Trump can do whatever he wants. But at a certain point, too much uncertainty and conflict takes a toll.
Trump’s ‘cascade of chaos:’ What happens when there’s too much turnover at the top
Talk to any business strategist to localize.
Bobby Albert is a workplace expert and the author of the just-released leadership book Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job.
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