Becoming a Cabinet Secretary requires a mix of technical skill and political connection. Selection procedures vary from country to country, with some requiring appointment from the chief executive and others chosen from the top ranks of parliamentarians. Cabinet secretaries are expected to be experts in their fields, with technical qualifications needed. Political capital is also important, with long service within a political party and holding progressively more important positions being helpful. Shadow positions can also lead to cabinet positions. The degree of loyalty and party service required varies between countries.
The office of Cabinet Secretary is a very senior position, usually within a government, and anyone wanting to become a Cabinet Secretary usually needs a mix of technical skill and political connection. The mechanics of selecting secretaries, called ministers in some countries, vary greatly from country to country. Education, status within a political party, useful connections, personal political skill and charisma can all be helpful in becoming a cabinet secretary.
Each government has slightly different selection procedures for cabinet secretaries. In the United States government and most state governments, these positions require an appointment from the chief executive, usually the president or governor. Senate approval is also required for cabinet-level positions in the United States government. In other nations, cabinet secretaries are chosen from the top ranks of parliamentarians, usually through a consultation process among party leaders.
Cabinet secretaries are expected to be experts in their fields, although some governments appoint secretaries without specific portfolios. The technical qualifications needed to become a cabinet secretary may include formal education or may be based on work in related fields in the private sector or government services. US Treasury secretaries often belong to the upper echelons of the Federal Reserve System or the financial sector, as the cabinet secretary duties performed by these officials are quite technical in nature.
In some cases, cabinet secretaries are chosen as impartial technocrats. In most cases, however, a man or woman should be affiliated with a political party and held in high regard. The political capital needed to become a cabinet secretary can come from long service within a political party and holding progressively more important positions. Cabinet secretaries may have started their careers in other fields as well, but built reputations as trusted allies of a particular politician or political party.
In some countries, such as the UK, opposition parties maintain shadow cabinets. In these offices, shadow ministers serve to express dissenting opinions to their corresponding ministers in government. Shadow positions often lead to cabinet positions when government control changes hands.
The degree of loyalty and party service required to become a cabinet secretary varies greatly between countries. In the Soviet Union, party loyalty was often of critical importance, although loyalty to key figures within the party was also important. Many modern communist countries operate in a similar way, and a man or woman who wants to become a cabinet secretary in these nations must cultivate a reputation for personal and party loyalty. In other nations, such as the United States, cabinet secretaries are sometimes chosen in an attempt to build new political relationships or heal old wounds, and not just on the basis of loyalty.
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