Some of America’s most important precedents are the ones that were set outside of the Supreme Court. So much of the form and function of American public life reflects precedents set by the founding generation, by the first Congress and the first president. And among President Washington’s most significant precedents was his establishment of the cabinet as the president’s advisory council.

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky describes this in her terrific new book, “The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution.” Dr. Chervinsky, a historian at the White House Historical Association, joins Adam to discuss how the Washington administration created the model for future administrations, how the responsibilities and powers of cabinet officials changed through American history, and how those official mediated between the branches of the federal government. Dr. Chervinsky also gives an unsurprising answer when asked which president’s cabinet was worst.