Who are they?
How are they selected?
What do they do?
© 2012, TESCCC
U.S. Government, Unit: 05 Lesson: 03
Constitutional Authority?
• Not a formal organization mandated by law
• Developed over the years as an informal group of
advisors from each of the executive departments
Article II, Section 2, Clause 1… “he may require the
Opinion, in writing of the principal Officer in each of
the executive Departments, upon any Subject
relating to the Duties of their respective Offices…”
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Interesting Facts about
Presidential Cabinets
• George Washington’s top two
advisors, Jefferson and Hamilton,
disagreed so bitterly that political
parties formed around these two
men.
• Andrew Jackson preferred a
group of informal advisors known
as the “Kitchen Cabinet.”
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• Abraham Lincoln once took a vote
in which the seven members
unanimously opposed him. He
said, “Seven nays, one aye, the
ayes have it.”
• John F. Kennedy’s brother served
as Attorney General and served
as a chief advisor.
• Ronald Reagan held Cabinet
meetings an average of twice a
week to stay informed.
The First Executive Departments:
George Washington’s Presidency
• Department of State - Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson
• Department of the Treasury - Secretary of the Treasury
Alexander Hamilton
• Department of War - Secretary of Defense Henry Knox
• Office of the Attorney General - Edmund Randolph -became
the Department of Justice in 1870
Today there are fifteen departments.
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Presidential Cabinet Today
• Secretary of State
• Secretary of the Treasury
• Attorney General (Justice
Dept.)
• Secretary of Defense
• Secretary of the Interior
• Secretary of Agriculture
• Secretary of Commerce
• Secretary of Labor
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• Secretary of Health and
Human Services
• Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development
• Secretary of Transportation
• Secretary of Energy
• Secretary of Education
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• Secretary of Homeland
Security
Department of State
• Handles the foreign
policy of the nation
• Staffs embassies
• Analyzes data about
American interests in
other nations
• Speaks for the United
States at the United
Nations
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Department of the Treasury
• Serves as the financial
division of the government
• Manages public debt
• Collects taxes
• Manufactures coins and
currency
• Regulates and collects taxes
from producers and
distributers of alcohol and
tobacco
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Department of Justice
• Oversees the nation’s
legal affairs
• Supervises the agencies
that serve as the
nation’s police and
prison system
• Enforces antitrust laws
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Department of Defense
• Protects the security of
the United States
• Oversees the U.S.
Armed Forces through
the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Until 1949 was called
the Department of War
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Department of Interior
• Protects the public
lands and natural
resources throughout
the United States
• Oversees relationships
with American Indian
nations
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Department of Agriculture
• Helps farmers improve
incomes and production for
home and abroad
• Develops conservation
programs
• Safeguards the nation’s
food supply
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Department of Commerce
• Promotes and protects
the industrial and
commercial parts of the
economy
• Carries out the census
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Department of Labor
• Ensures safe working
conditions
• Oversees minimum
wages and protects
pensions
• Collects and analyzes
data on employment
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Department of Health and
Human Services
• Oversees programs
concerned with health
and social services of
the American people
• Manages federal
medicare and medicaid
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Department of Housing and
Urban Development
• Works to assist
communities in the
nation and expand
access to affordable
housing
• Ensures equal housing
opportunities
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Department of Transportation
• Regulates America’s
transportation needs,
policies and planning
• Works to ensure safe,
efficient, and
convenient land, sea,
rail, and air
transportation including
monitoring inland
waterways and
highways
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Department of Energy
• Plans energy policy and
implements policy
regarding the handling of
nuclear material
• Responsible for the
nation’s nuclear weapons
program, reactors, and
radioactive waste
• Researches and develops
energy technology
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Department of Education
• Establishes policy for,
administers and coordinates
most federal assistance to
education, collects data on US
schools, and enforces federal
educational laws regarding
privacy and civil rights
• Its mission is: to promote
student achievement and
preparation for global
competitiveness by fostering
educational excellence and
ensuring equal access
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Department of Veterans Affairs
• Oversees medical care
and other services for
veterans and families
after their service
• Manages educational
programs for veterans
and works to end
Veterans’ homelessness
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Department of Homeland Security
• Charged with protecting
the security of
America’s borders,
shores, land and the
safety of its people
• Newest department
created in 2002 after
September 11, 2001
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Other Cabinet Rank Members
• The Vice President
• Head of the Office of
Management and Budget
• Head of the Environmental
Protection Agency
Lincoln meeting
with his Cabinet
providing the first
reading to the
Emancipation
Proclamation
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• White House Chief of Staff
• United States Trade
Representative
• Head of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy
Steps in the Process of Appointing
Members of the Cabinet
• Presidential nomination
• White House review
• Paperwork financial
disclosure
• FBI investigation
• Senate confirmation
hearings
• Senate vote (majority
needed)
© 2012, TESCCC