听众信箱：美国内阁如何排交椅？

choi

本文通过一路BBS站telnet客户端发布

VOA Chinese, Sept. 5, 2010.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20100905-Mailbox-CABINET-SEATING-102246274.html

My comment:
(a) Last thing first: The last paragraph states, "奥巴马总统在2008年1月宣誓就职，到了2009年4月才召开第一次内阁会议。" Pres. Obama's first cabinet meeting was indeed held on Apr. 20, 2009. But his inauguration was in January, 2009, not 2008.
(b) The article says, "各部的英语都使用department的说法，除司法部外，包括国务卿在内的各部首长的英语称呼都是secretary。"

The head of Department of Justice 司法部 is Attorney General.
(c) The article continues, "美国国务院是联邦政府负责外交事务的行政机构，基本上相当于其它国家的外交部，美国国务卿大致相当于其它国家的外交部长。"

This is true. But every state in US has its own "secretary of state," with a portfolio that is different according to state law or constitution.
(d) The article states further, "1789年，国会曾立法建立“外交事务部”，这是美国宪法生效后联邦政府的第一个部，不过，它的名称很快就改为“国务部”，中文一般翻译为“国务院”。国务院除了处理外交事务，也掌管一些国内职责，比如，美国的国玺至今仍由国务院保管。"

(i) 外交事务部
United States Department of State
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_State
("The House of Representatives and Senate approved legislation to establish a Department of Foreign Affairs on July 21, 1789, and President Washington signed it into law on July 27, making the Department of Foreign Affairs the first Federal agency to be created under the new Constitution. This legislation remains the basic law of the Department of State. In September 1789, additional legislation changed the name of the agency to the Department of State and assigned to it a variety of domestic duties. These responsibilities grew to include management of the United States Mint, keeper of the Great Seal of the United States, and the taking of the census.")

* The name Department of Foreign Affairs existed for just two months. It preceded Department of Treasury, Department of War by about two months.

Department of Justice was formed in 1870. "The Attorney General was initially a one-person, part-time job, established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, but this grew with the bureaucracy. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Justice

* Bureau of the Census is now under Department of Commerce.

(ii) I did not know US has 国玺. But a view of
Great Seal of the United States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_States

demonstrates that the Great Seal is not a jade seal like that of Republic of China's, and that there is no ink, either. Instead, it is a press. See section 3 Seal press. As such, Massachusetts has its seal press at office of Secretary of state, too.

(e) The articles says, "美国国务卿直接向总统汇报，从这种意义上，国务卿似乎更显得位高权重."

Still, National Security Advisor and other aides (all works from Wghite House) to the president can overshadow secretary of state.
(f) The articles also states, "华盛顿召集部下“四大金刚”--国务卿、财政部长、战争部长和司法部长商讨国家大事，这是美国内阁制度之始。"

It just meant that President Washington had a (small) cabinet of ONLY four. That is all.

四大金刚/四巨头 The big four

--