WI: Grant's Cabinet Courtesy of Congress?

[Doctor Evulz]

Rather than choosing his cabinet by consulting with key Senators such as Charles Sumner, Grant chose his cabinet independently. Except for John A. J. Creswell, not one of Grant's choices would have been chosen by the Senate.

So, what if Ulysses S. Grant decided to consult with Congress first? Who would they have chosen and how would this affect his administration's corruption?

 

[Darth_Kiryan]

So, what if Ulysses S. Grant decided to consult with Congress first? Who would they have chosen and how would this affect his administration's corruption?

I think the only person who Grant chose (after his first choice resigned fur to health) was his secretary of state, Hamilton Fish who was probably the only guy who escaped unscarred from Grant's administration.

If anything i think that Grant needed a different VP in the first place as well. And he definitely needed to be taken care of, even oif he did have some minor small stint as Secretary of War, he still had no capable political experience.

 

[Elfwine]

But given the norms of the era, that Congress picking would have picked less corrupt people seems a gamble at best.

 

[Darth_Kiryan]

But given the norms of the era, that Congress picking would have picked less corrupt people seems a gamble at best.

That is a fair point. But the key thing about Grant's administration is that he picked people who he liked (practically) and they were people who didn't know how to do their jobs in the cabinet. Congress would at least pick people who competently knew what they were doing.

 

[Elfwine]

That is a fair point. But the key thing about Grant's administration is that he picked people who he liked (practically) and they were people who didn't know how to do their jobs in the cabinet. Congress would at least pick people who competently knew what they were doing.

I'm not convinced. I don't think it would be worse than Grant's picks, but congress did not have some natural tendency to wisdom.

 

[Rich Rostrom]

So, what if Ulysses S. Grant decided to consult with Congress first?

When?

It turns out, just to cover this point, that the 40th, 41st, and 42nd Congresses all convened on March 4, first day of the new terms. (The 43rd Congress reverted to the traditional practice of convening late (December 1, 1873).