KITCHEN CABINET

Every head of state is believed to have his/her own ‘kitchen cabinet.’ It usually consists of a small group of people whom the Prime Minister or President turns to for advice. These unofficial advisers are not politicians and the head of state implicitly trusts them. It is believed that sometimes the kitchen cabinet has a greater influence on the head of state than the official cabinet. This is understandable because the official cabinet consists of politicians, and as everyone knows, politicians are not meant to be trusted – even if they happen to be from your own party! The expression ‘kitchen cabinet’ was coined in the United States in the 1830s during the Presidency of Andrew Jackson. He had three friends whom he depended on for advice. Since he wanted to keep their visits a secret, he usually had them ushered in through the kitchen door. It is believed that most of their meetings actually took place in the kitchen; hence the term ‘kitchen cabinet.’ Other expressions which have more or less the same meaning are ‘brain(s) trust’ and ‘think tank.’ --- S. Upendran