Question

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Explanation:

Analyze the constitutional context of the presidency

When George Washington took office in 1789 as the first President of the United States under the new Constitution, the executive branch was largely undefined. The Constitution established the office of the President but did not detail how the day-to-day administration of the federal government would function.

Identify the scale of the executive branch

The executive branch was not initially "too big" or filled with "too many departments." In fact, it barely existed. There were no established executive departments or administrative staff to help manage the nation's affairs, meaning Washington had to build the administrative framework from scratch.

Evaluate the challenge of running the branch alone

Because the Constitution did not outline a large administrative staff, Washington faced the immediate challenge that the responsibilities of executing federal laws, managing foreign affairs, and handling national finances were far too vast for a single individual to manage alone.

Connect the challenge to the creation of the Cabinet

To address this challenge, Washington worked with Congress to create the first executive departments (State, Treasury, and War) and appointed trusted advisors to lead them. This group of department heads became known as the President's Cabinet, solving the problem of the executive branch being too large and complex for one person to run without assistance.

Answer:

• (A) It was too big for him to run alone. (Correct answer)
• (B) He needed to figure out its purpose.
• (C) He needed someone to oversee it.
• (D) It had too many departments.