A Shadow Cabinet, Pt. 2
On September 6, I suggested that we take a look at creating A “Draft” GOP Shadow Cabinet to monitor actions of the next American government, if either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton are elected.
There are two ways of doing that. One is quasi-official and is composed of elective members of the House and Senate. One of my colleagues from the Reagan Administration has called to my attention that during the Reagan Administration care was taken to appoint persons who represented conservative principles and that members of Congress tended to represent the interests of their constituents and other interests. A quasi-official Shadow Cabinet consisting of elected officials would fail.
There is a second way to bring integrity to the actions of Cabinet agencies. Organize a Shadow Cabinet of professional researchers recruited from conservative policy organizations. The Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Ethics and Public Policy Center and other “think tanks” in Washington, DC have professional staff dedicated to public policy areas of a responsible Shadow Government.
What would such an “unofficial” Shadow Cabinet look like?
Organizing such an entity requires organizational leadership and skill recognized by all concerned. Candidates for organizing this Shadow Cabinet may fall to Jim DeMint, current President of the Heritage Foundation, or Ed Crane, former President of the Cato Institute. But there are state-based policy organizations and leaders like Joe Bast at the Heartland Institute, David Theroux at the Independent Institute (Oakland, CA), John Andrews, former president of the Independence Institute (Denver, CO) to name only four possible leaders.
Here are some policy professionals they might consider:
Secretary of State Norman Bailey
Secretary of Treasury John Rutledge
Defense John Lenczowski
Attorney General Roger Pilon
Interior Joseph Bast
Agriculture Ron Williamson
HHS Greg Scandlen
Transportation Nathan A. Benefield
Education Neal McCluskey
Veterans Administration Mackubin Thomas Owens
Homeland Security John J. Tierney, Jr.
Federal Reserve James A. Dorn
This essay has been edited to reflect the possibility that even if the Republican nominee is elected, it will be necessary to “ride herd” on a Trump Administration just as if the Democrat were nominated.
