Part 5
Objective: You will be able to list the
different cabinet positions
Each department is headed by a secretary,
except for the Department of Justice, whose
work is directed by the attorney general.
Each department is made up of a number of
subunits, both staff and line.
Today, the executive departments vary a
great deal in terms of visibility, size, and
importance.
 The
Cabinet is an informal advisory body brought
together by the President to serve his needs.
 By tradition, the heads of the executive
departments form the Cabinet.
 The President appoints the head of each of the
executive departments, which are then subject to
Senate approval.
 Cabinet members serve as both head of their
respective departments and as advisors to the
President.
 John
 Chief
Kerry
engineer of
American
diplomacy
 manages American
travel overseas.
Jack
Lew
 Manages
federal
finances, collects
taxes, produces
stamps, and
provides
government advice
on matters of
economic policy.
Ken
Salazar
 Manages
conservation
efforts, national
parks, and
environmental
protection.
Eric
Holder
 Attorney
General
 Enforces federal
laws by taking
offenders to court,
investigates and
detains offenders
through the FBI.
 Tom Vilsack
 Oversees national
forests &
conservation efforts,
responsible for safety
of meat, poultry, and
egg products
 attempts to provide
open foreign markets
for American
agricultural products.
Penny
 “to
Pritzker
foster, serve, and
promote the Nation’s
economic
development and
technological
development.”
 Thomas
 Looks
Perez
out for “job
seekers, wage
earners, and
retirees” by
administering
federal labor laws
 providing services
like connecting
potential employers
to unemployed
workers.
Ashton
 Manages
Carter
the
nation’s military
 headquartered at
the Pentagon.
 Sylvia
Mathews Burwell
 Conducts health
research, manages
efforts to prevent
disease
 manages Medicare and
Medicaid,
Shaun
 Strives
Donovan
to increase
domestic
homeownership and
improve access to
affordable housing free
of discrimination.
Anthony
 Manages
Foxx
national
transportation
infrastructure like
highways, air
traffic, and
railways.
Ernest
 Manages
Moniz
the
nation’s nuclear
weapons and
energy
 develops energy
policies
 conducts energy
research.
Arne
Duncan
 Manages
federal
student aid
programs
 monitors academic
performance
nationwide
 administers
federal education
legislation
Robert
 Provides
McDonald
for the
healthcare, benefits,
and memorial service
needs of veterans.
Jeh
Johnson
 Oversees
a wide range
of federal agencies to
help them coordinate
plans to confront
national emergencies
and threats to
national security.