"Locked in the Cabinet" Summary and Review

The article is an excerpt from a memoir written by Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under the Clinton Admnistration. In this account, Reich recalls the early days of his tenure as head of the labor department after the swearing in of Bill Clinton in January 1993. Reich was beset by the problem of appointing new officials for the apartment. The number of potential  secretaries and under secretaries numbered in the thousands and Reich wanted to have each of his choices confirmed as soon as possible, or else his picks would be put on a year long waiting list. Reich also did not know clearly whether some candidates were qualified enough or not. Reich also has to deal with his own staff, who place him in a "bubble" meant to protect the precious time of the secretary, but at the same time isolating him from serious challenges and problems. Later on, Reich arranges for all employees of the department to meet with him and hold a question & answer session, where he believes the workers will introduce fresh ideas and will feel that they are not being ignored. One worker's idea in particular is seized upon by the staff brilliant toward budget policy. This idea is eventually signed into law by the president (referenced as B). Reich then introduces the employee to the president.

The account, like all memoirs by public servants, offers an interesting insight to how the functions of government look. Reich's attention to detail is especially noteworthy, as it allows the reader to a fresh glimpse into the working world of the federal bureaucracy. The only thing I take offense at is that Reich does tend to portray himself in a postive light than any other characters, which makes one belive that his account could contain bias.