Cupboard
This page refers to the advisory panel of the President of the USQ, not the common kitchen storage space.
The Cupboard is a group of advisory secretaries that are a part of the executive branch of the United States of Quentin government. The secretaries in the Cupboard each head a different department that they head and have powers in, as well as advise the President on matters relating to their departments. Created in 1834 with the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of Quentin, the Cupboard has grown from 4 members to 12 in its near 200 year existence. The Cupboard's name originated from a quote by President Olivia Ehresman, talking about her advisory board as, "...a cupboard, which I can reach in any time I please, and come up with exactly the things I need." The Cupboard meets regularly at 777 Cupboard Place, and all the secretaries and their families live there.
History
Creation
The Cupboard was created in 1834, by the Constitution of the United States of Quentin, which stipulated in Article III that the Cupboard would be created as an advisory panel to the President of the USQ, as well as the Secretaries to be leaders of the different departments. The constitution did not specify how many Cupboard members there should be, or what departments they should control, so The House of Bureaucrats took it into their own hands in 1835, using their constitution-given appointment approval power to choose 3 departments they believed should be represented in the Cupboard, creating the Quentinian Department of State, the Quentinian Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Quentinian Department of Professions and Labor, which combined with the GTNEC of the USQ brought the number of Cupboard members to four. In 1842, the Supreme Council created the Department of the Postal Service, a component of the government the Constitution laid out, however the President Sam Logan did not add a new secretary for the postal service, and today the department is an executive department without a representative in the Cupboard.
Soon after, in 1846, President Logan attempted to add secretaries to the Cupboard, including a Secretary of Nature, Secretary of Monuments, and a Secretary of Infrastructure. As this power had been previously exercised by the House of Bureaucrats, however, and it did not specify in the Constitution as to who would have that power, it was challenged by the House and brought to the Supreme Council.
The council eventually ruled in the case Logan v. Bureaucrats that since the Constitution specifies that the departments and secretaries in the Cupboard are part of the executive branch, and that the President is the chief executive, it should be his decision as to who the Secretaries are, and what their departments cover. The Supreme Council has since stated in the cases of Bureaucrats v. Chikes and Ravenclaw v. Redall that the House must approve every Cupboard appointment, and that the Council must approve any addition to the departments in the executive branch, and in the more recent case of Bureaucrats v. Dehoff that departments must only cover functions the executive branch has the power to execute.
Addition of Secretaries
After the addition of the three secretaries in 1846, there were 5 more additions to the Cupboard throughout the years that brought the Cupboard to its modern day total of 12. In 1859, another addition was made by President Franklin Moise, adding the Quentinian Secretary of Defense and the Quentinian Secretary of Technology, bringing the total up to 9. The secretary of defense heads the nation's military as well as The Quentinian Intelligence Department, and the secretary of technology heads technological research projects by the government, and the implementation of new technology into the society and cities of the country.
In 1934 another stride was made by President Adithan Kumar, as he appointed the first Quentinian Secretary of Education to the Cupboard. This secretary heads the public school system around the country, and the curriculum it implements in the schools, as well as public universities. The department also is involved with public libraries. In 1959 the Cupboard once again added secretaries, this time the Quentinian Secretary of Health as well as the Quentinian Secretary of Transportation. This came after new public transportation systems were integrated into cities, and smoking was discovered to be bad for your health. This is the most current Cupboard, with 12 members, including the GTNEC.
Current Cupboard
For a complete list of Cupboards, visit Past Cupboards
The current Cupboard includes 12 members, along with the President of the USQ, all of which have different departments they head and responsibilities. Below is a list of current members of the Cupboard, along with their position, party, and inauguration.
