Our future sheep

[Pat McCotter]

From Bowling Green University campus paper.


Students unaware of Obama's cabinet
By: Hannah Sparling and Becky Tener
Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: Campus

Behind the widely known and famous President Barack Obama is a lesser known team of specialists advising him on everything from agriculture to education.

Each person of this 15-member team, also known as the Cabinet, is appointed to his or her position by the president and then confirmed into office by the Senate. But while these Cabinet members may have big influence and pull on Capitol Hill, at the University they are little more than unknown.

Senior Brittany Wynn said she doesn't know much about the Cabinet. She said she picks up little bits and pieces from the news of who they are and what they do but is too busy to really dive deeper into the subject.

"I would like to get to know more," Wynn said. "I just really haven't taken the time."

Time is also a factor for junior Shawn Pignatiello. He said he followed the presidential election but after that stopped focusing on political news.

"I really haven't been paying attention," he said. "I was really into the election, but since then I haven't really heard anything about it."

Sophomore Garrett Frye, who is in the Army, may have the time, but he said he just doesn't want to spend it on the Cabinet.

"Don't know, don't care," Frye said. "I just follow the orders."

David Jackson, associate professor in the political science department at the University, said Wynn, Pignatiello and Frye are not out of the ordinary. Many students, and just people in general, know very little about the Cabinet.

"They're not flashy, famous, household name types," Jackson said. "That's just not what the American public's general interest is."

Whether or not people know who they are, Jackson said members of the cabinet are pretty important. They have different levels of influence depending on their position and what the U.S. is going through at any given time, but the policies they push do have an effect on the general population.

"Some are more important than others, and some become more important than others, [but] you've got to have talented people who know a lot about policy and how to get things passed through Congress," Jackson said.

Jackson said one reason people know so little about the Cabinet is the presidency takes all the political attention.

"That's the downfall of our system being so presidency-based," he said. "There is a pretty general level of ignorance about the government when the superstar at the top draws all the attention."

Listed are the 15 Cabinet positions and the people appointed by President Obama to fill them. Cabinet positions are listed in order of succession to the presidency.

[This list is actually pictures and short bio of each member. If you really want to see it: Feb 10, 2009 PDF version of BG News.]