Why does the constitution give the senate the power to confirm or reject the presidents choices for cabinet secretaries?

Answer 1

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution prescribes the President "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for..."

The ability to approve or reject a nominee to the US Supreme Court is one of the checks Congress (Legislative branch) has on the power of the President (Executive branch) and the Supreme Court (Judicial branch). The United States system of checks and balances is designed to prevent any one segment of the government from becoming too powerful.

According to the US.Senate.gov, the Senate was given preference over the House of Representatives because the Senate has fewer members, which the Founding Fathers believed would promote the desired efficiency and secrecy in the confirmation process.

The House of Representatives' check on the Supreme Court is the power of impeachment.

For more information, see Related Questions and Related Links, below.

Answer 2

This approval is required by the US Constitution. It is one of the checks and balances between the branches of US government. Some of cabinet secretaries such as state,treasury, justice and defense have a lot to power and it is important for the entire nation to have good people in these positions. The collective judgment of 100 senators provides a safeguard against a possible poor choice by the President.

Answer 3

Because of our Checks and Balance system.

But, Depending on if the President is a Republican or Democrat will determine whether the Senate will be Republican or Democrat majority of time. Which means they will most likely side with the respective party, therefore the Checks and Balance system is bias when it all boils down.

Answer 4

This approval power is established by the US Constitution. The Senate was designed to be the more thoughtful and less volatile of the two houses of Congress since senators serve for 6 year-terms and when the constitution was written were elected by the state legislatures. The writers of Constitutional apparently felt that presidential appointments deserve the kind of scrutiny that the Senate can provide.

Answer 5

Checks and balances - these are put in place to ensure that one branch of the government does not ever get any more powerful than the others.