The president's cabinet is actually an informal group of advisers not even mentioned in the Constitution. In 1789, Congress created four offices tied to the executive branch to help administer the government: secretary of state, secretary of the treasury, secretary of war, and attorney general. The president appointed individuals to these posts and over time began seeking their advice. This group of individuals was called the cabinet and has expanded to include fifteen executive offices and departments.

Typically, the president meets with this group in cabinet meetings and asks for their advice on various issues. Each of these secretaries heads up a department that has become a huge bureaucracy over time, so it is often hard for new appointees to have much effect on day-to-day operations. The weight that presidents have given to their cabinets varies. Some, like Eisenhower's cabinet, played an important role in his administration. On the other hand, Kennedy and Jackson relied more on personal advisers than on their cabinets.

Another group of individuals important in advising the president is the National Security Council. Created in 1947 with the National Security Act, it typically consists of the President's top advisers including the vice president; the secretaries of state, treasury, and defense; the national security advisor; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the director of national intelligence. Other secretaries and advisers are invited if their areas of responsibility are being discussed.