Name_____________________________
Period______
Date__________
Mr. Mitchell
The Executive Departments
(Chapter 15, Section 3)
I.
II.
Executive Departments:
A. Structure:
1.
Much of the work of the Federal government is divided between 15
executive departments, or Cabinet departments.
2. Executive Departments are built around broad fields of activity.
3. Congress originally created three departments, but the number has
increased over time.
B. Chief Officers and Staff:
1.
Each department is headed by a secretary, except for the Department of
Justice which is headed by the attorney general.
2. The department heads are the primary link between presidential policy
and his/her own department.
3. Various departments also have under secretaries, deputy secretaries, and
several assistant secretaries to aid the department heads.
4. Secretaries and other department officials are chosen by the President
and confirmed by the Senate.
C. Subunits:
1.
Each department is made up of a number of subunits, both staff and line
agencies.
2. Most heads of these subunits (~80%) are career people, not political
appointees.
3. Most of the agencies’ work is done through regional and/or district
offices, allowing 90% of all civil servants to work outside of the capital.
D. The Departments Today:
1.
The Department of State is the oldest and most prestigious department,
but one of the smallest.
2. The Department of Defense is the largest department.
3. The Department of Health and Human Services has the largest budget
(accounts for ~25% of federal spending each year).
4. The Department of Homeland Security is the newest of the executive
departments (created in 2002).
The Cabinet:
A. Origins:
1.
Congress originally created three departments—state, treasury, and
war—along with the position of attorney general.
Name_____________________________
Period______
2.
Date__________
Mr. Mitchell
The Cabinet has grown over time as the federal government’s
responsibilities have increased.
B. Choosing Cabinet Members:
1.
The President appoints the head of each of the executive departments.
2. Each appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate, but
rejections are very rare.
3. Factors that can influence the President’s Cabinet choices are party
affiliation, professional qualifications, geography, interest groups,
gender, and race.
C. Women and Minorities:
1.
Women and minorities have only gradually become represented in the
Cabinet since the 1930s.
2. Recent Presidents regularly appoint women and members of various
minority groups for Cabinet posts.
D. The Cabinet’s Role:
1.
Cabinet members have two major jobs:
a. Each is the administrative head of an executive department.
b. Each serves as an advisor to the President.
2. Some Presidents rely heavily on the Cabinet’s advice while others have
met with their Cabinets less frequently.