Cabinet secretary is a very senior position, usually within a government, and anyone aspiring to be one requires a combination of technical expertise and political connections. The process of selecting secretaries, also known as ministers in some countries, varies greatly from country to country. Education, political party membership, useful connections, and personal political ability and charisma can all help you become a cabinet secretary.
Cabinet secretaries are chosen in slightly different ways by each government. These positions require appointment by the chief executive, usually the President or a governor, in the United States government and most state governments. Cabinet-level positions in the United States government also require Senate approval. Cabinet secretaries are chosen from the highest ranks of parliamentarians in other countries, usually through a process of consultation among party leaders.
Although some governments appoint secretaries without specific portfolios, cabinet secretaries are often expected to be experts in their fields. Technical qualifications for cabinet secretary positions may include formal education or experience in related fields in the private sector or in government service. Because the cabinet secretary duties performed by these officials are quite technical in nature, Secretaries of the Treasury in the United States are frequently drawn from the upper echelons of the Federal Reserve System or the financial industry.
Cabinet secretaries are sometimes chosen as unbiased technocrats. However, in the vast majority of cases, a man or woman must be a member of a political party and held in high regard. Long service in a political party and the holding of increasingly important positions may provide the political capital required to become a cabinet secretary. Cabinet secretaries may have started their careers in other fields but have earned a reputation as trustworthy allies of a specific politician or political party.
Opposition parties maintain shadow cabinets in some countries, such as the United Kingdom. Shadow ministers serve in these cabinets to express dissenting views to their corresponding government ministers. When power in government changes hands, shadow positions frequently lead to cabinet positions.
To become a cabinet secretary, a country’s level of party loyalty and service varies greatly. Party loyalty was often crucial in the Soviet Union, though loyalty to key figures within the party was also important. Many modern communist countries operate similarly, and anyone interested in becoming a cabinet secretary in one of these countries should cultivate a reputation for personal and party loyalty. Cabinet secretaries in other countries, such as the United States, are sometimes chosen in an attempt to forge new political alliances or heal old wounds rather than solely on the basis of loyalty.