Cabinet and Executive Departments
The Cabinet is a group of advisers who help the President establish policies and make decisions. Through the
years, the Cabinet has commonly consisted of the heads of the executive departments of the federal government.
The Constitution of the United States makes no mention of a Cabinet. But in describing the powers of the
President, the Constitution states that “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.” In 1789,
Congress established three departments—State, War, and Treasury—and the office of the attorney general
(Department of Justice.) President George Washington frequently consulted with the executive department
heads—called secretaries—and the attorney general. Various Presidents have asked other officials in the
executive branch of government to take part in Cabinet meetings. In 1961, for example, President John F.
Kennedy began to have the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations attend Cabinet meetings. The President
appoints executive department heads with the approval of the Senate, and may dismiss them at any time. They
are responsible for administering their departments and carrying out government policies. The President calls
together the department heads for regular Cabinet meetings. The meetings usually take place weekly in the
Cabinet Room of the White House. Today, there are 15 executive departments.
1. What is a Cabinet and who makes up this group? Is a cabinet directly mentioned in the Constitution of
the United States of America or is it indirectly implied?
2. What did the Cabinet establish in 1789? What did President George Washington frequently do with
these departments and what did he call these department heads?
3. What have various Presidents done with other officials in the executive branch and give the example of
what John F. Kennedy did.
4. How does a President get these cabinet members and who approves them into the Cabinet and what
happens when the have to leave their position?
5. What is the responsibility of the Cabinet? What contact do they have with the President and how often
do meeting take place with the President?
6. How many departments are there?
Department of State
The United States Department of State (often referred to as the State Department or DoS) is the United States
federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the
foreign ministries of other countries. The Department was created in 1789 and was the first executive
department established. The Department operates the diplomatic missions of the United States abroad and is
responsible for implementing the foreign policy of the United States and U.S. diplomacy efforts. The Secretary
of State is the first Cabinet official in the order of precedence and in the presidential line of succession.
The Department of State speaks for the United States in the United Nations and other international
organizations. They plan and manage United States relations with other countries and also coordinate the
actions of other executive departments that affect foreign policy. Their role in foreign affairs is also seen
through the negotiating of treaties and agreements with other governments as well as the handling or official
business with foreign embassies in Washington D.C. The Department of State arranges for United States
participation in international conferences and issues passports; grants visas to immigrants or visitors to the
United States. They help protect and resettle refugees; supports human rights worldwide and protects U.S.
citizens and their property in other countries; helps businesses promote U.S. trade and investment abroad. The
Department of State conducts educational and cultural exchanges with other countries and directs information
programs to explain U.S. international policy and ways of life. Finally they manage United States economic
and humanitarian aid programs in developing countries; supports programs in democracy.
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What is the Department of State responsible for? When was it created and why is its creation so
important?
What is so important about the Secretary of State in terms of presidential succession?
Who does the Department of State speak for and what do they plan and organize?
What is their role in foreign affairs and what do they arrange for the United States?
What do they resettle, support, protect, help, and promote?
What do they conduct with other countries and what do they manage?
Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (Defense Department, USDOD, DOD or DoD, initially the National
Military Establishment (NME)) is the U.S. federal department allocated the largest level of budgetary resources
and charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to
national security and the United States armed forces. Their Department headquarters are in the Pentagon
Building, which is in Arlington Virginia, near Washington, D.C., and has three main components: the
Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Among the many DoD agencies are the Missile Defense
Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon Force Protection Agency
(PFPA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the
National Security Agency (NSA). The department also operates several joint service schools, including the
National War College. This Department includes the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which directs the operations of the
nation’s armed forces. Finally they gather intelligence, plan strategy, and prevent the spread of nuclear
weapons.
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What does the Department of Defense do?
Where are they located? What are the three main components of the DoD?
Do they have agencies? Name one and try to explain it.
What people make up the Department of defense, what do they direct?
What do they gather, plan, and prevent?
Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal
government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue. The Department
is administered by the Secretary of the Treasury, who is a member of the Cabinet. The first Secretary of the
Treasury was Alexander Hamilton, who was sworn into office on September 11, 1789. Hamilton was asked by
President George Washington to serve after first having asked Robert Morris (who declined, recommending
Hamilton instead). Hamilton almost single-handedly worked out the nation's early financial system, and for
several years was a major presence in Washington's administration as well. His portrait is on the obverse of the
U.S. ten-dollar bill and the Treasury Department building is shown on the reverse. Besides the Secretary, one
of the best-known Treasury officials is the Treasurer of the United States, who receives and keeps the money of
the U.S. Facsimile signatures of the Secretary and the Treasurer appear on all modern paper U.S. currency.
The Treasury prints and mints all paper currency and coins in circulation through the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing and the United States Mint. The Department also collects all federal taxes through the Internal Revenue
Service, and manages U.S. government debt instruments, with the major exception of the Federal Reserve
System. Their job is to advise the President on financial policies; and reports to Congress on the nation’s
finances. The Department of Treasury also collects federal taxes and customs duties and receives all money
paid to the government. They pay the federal government’s expenses, and maintain records of its income and
spending. The Department of Treasury also manages the national debt and borrows money for the government
when Congress authorizes it to do so. They supervise the operation of national banks, savings banks, and
savings and loan associations. The manufacturing of all of the nation’s paper money and coins and printing of
most U.S. postage stamps is also handled by this department. The enforcing of all anti-smuggling laws and
counterfeiting and finally the guarding and protecting of the President and Vice President, their immediate
families, and certain other individuals are all taken care of by the Department of Treasury.
1. What must the Department of Treasury advise the President on and the report to Congress? What do
they collect, who do they pay and what do they maintain?
2. What does the Department of Treasury manage, borrow and who authorization do they need?
3. What does the Department of Treasury supervise, manufacture, enforce, guard and protect?
Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (often referred to as the Justice Department or DOJ), is the United
States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice,
equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries. The Department is led by the Attorney
General, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and is a member of the Cabinet. They
provide legal advice for the President and the heads of government’s other executive departments. Within in
the Department the Bureau of Prisons oversees federal prisons and supervises the care of all federal prisoners.
The Drug Enforcement Administration enforces federal laws that apply to narcotics and other dangerous drugs.
The Federal Bureau of investigation investigates federal crimes and collects evidence in lawsuits that involve
the federal government. They gather information about individuals and groups that it believes are dangerous to
national security. Also in the Department of Justice the Immigration and Naturalization Service administers and
enforces U.S. immigration laws. The attorney general heads the department and ranks as the government’s
chief legal officer. This includes the United States Border Patrol, which works to prevent illegal immigration
and the smuggling of illegal drugs. Finally they investigate and prosecute violations of federal antitrust,
criminal, environmental, and civil rights laws.
1. What does the Department of Justice provide for the president? Also explain what each group under this
Department does.
a. Bureau of Prisons
b. Drug Enforcement Agency
c. Federal Bureau of Investigations
d. Immigration and Naturalization Service
2. Who is the leader of the Department of Justice and what is their ranking?
a. United States border Patrol
3. Finally what do they investigate and prosecute?
Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government
concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of
Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903. It was subsequently renamed to the Department of Commerce on
March 4, 1913, and its bureaus and agencies specializing in labor were transferred to the new Department of
Labor. Commerce improves the economy by creating jobs and increasing incomes in poorer areas of the
country. It also helps minority group members establish new businesses and expand existing ones. They issue
patents and register trademarks. The Bureau of the Census, a department agency, assembles data on such
subjects as the nation’s population, businesses, and international trade. They promote growth in trade with
other countries; advising U.S. businesses that wish to export their goods or services. The Department’s
National Weather Service watches for hurricanes, tornadoes, and other dangerous weather conditions and
provides weather forecasts.
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How does the Department of Commerce improve the economy? Also how does it help minority group
members?
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What do the following agencies do under the Department of Commerce?
a.
Bureau of the Census
b.
National Weather Service
Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (informally the Agriculture Department or USDA) is the United
States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy
on farming, agriculture, and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade
and production, work to assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities and end hunger
in the United States and abroad. The head of the department is the Secretary of Agriculture, who is a member
of the Cabinet. The Department of Agriculture also works to safeguard the food supply by inspecting meat and
poultry in slaughtering and processing plants. They grade meat, poultry, and dairy products to indicate their
quality. It regulatory programs help protect animals and plants from pests and diseases. It runs food assistance
programs—such as the National School Lunch Program—to fight the problems of hunger and to improve the
diet of Americans. They finance research in its own laboratories and at universities that deals with such topics
as plant and animal diseases, crop production, marketing of farm products, nutrition, and conservation. They
provide financial aid and other assistance to communities, businesses, and utilities in rural areas.
1. What does the Department of Agriculture work to safeguard, and how do they do it?
2. Give examples of what the Department of Justice does in the following areas
a. Regulatory Programs
b. Food Assistance Programs
c. Finance Research in…
d. Provide financial aid and other assistance
Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is the United States federal executive department of the
U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources,
and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, territorial
affairs, and to insular areas of the United States. The Department is administered by the United States Secretary
of the Interior, who is a member of the Cabinet of the President. The current Secretary is Ken Salazar of
Colorado. Despite its name, the Department of the Interior has a different role from that of the interior
ministries of other nations, which are usually responsible for functions performed in the U.S. by the Department
of Homeland Security primarily and the Department of Justice secondarily. The Department has often been
humorously called "The Department of Everything Else", because of its broad range of responsibilities. They
work to conserve the nation’s mineral, water, and wildlife resources and to protect the environment. They
manage national parks and monuments. The Department of Interior sells individuals and private companies the
right to use federal land for grazing, logging, mining, and other commercial purposes; leases federal offshore
areas for mining and drilling for oil and natural gas. On Indian reservations, they manage law enforcement,
welfare, education, and other programs. They help administer America Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and
other territories and possessions of the United States.
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_the_Interior
1.
What does the Department of Interior work to conserve and protect? What do they manage to get this
done?
2.
What does the Department of Interior sell to individuals and private companies? What do they lease?
3.
What does the Department of Interior do on Indian reservations? Also what territories do they
administer?
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet
department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government. Although its beginnings were in
the House and Home Financing Agency, it was founded as a Cabinet department in 1965, as part of the "Great
Society" program of President Lyndon Johnson, to develop and execute policies on housing and metropolises.
The department was established on September 9, 1965, when Lyndon B. Johnson sign the Department of
Housing and Urban Development Act into law. HUD is administered by the United States Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development.
1. When was it founded and what was it a part of once?
2. What does this department do?
Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the
United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October
15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967. It is administered by the United States Secretary of
Transportation. Its mission is to "Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and
convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the
American people, today and into the future."
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Transportation
1.
What is the mission of the Department of Transportation?
Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for
occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and
some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The department is headed by the United
States Secretary of Labor. The purpose of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to foster, promote, and develop the
welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance
opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. In carrying out this
mission, the Department of Labor administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws. These mandates and the
regulations that implement them cover many workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125
million workers. This Department administers federal laws on minimum wages, overtime, child labor, and
migrant workers. Develops and enforces job safety and health standards for most U.S. industries. They oversee
workers’ compensation programs and unemployment insurance programs. They reduce unemployment by
providing job training for disadvantaged young men and women. It also enforces regulations designed to
guarantee equal employment opportunity to ethnic minorities, women, disabled people, and veterans. Finally
they prepare the Consumer Price Index, the most widely used measurement of price trends in the United States.
1. What does the Department of Labor administer federal laws on? What do they develop and enforce?
2. What does the Department of Labor oversee, reduce and how do they reduce it?
3. What does the Department of Labor enforce and finally what do they prepare and what is the CPI?
Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a Cabinet department of the United
States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human
services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America". Before the separate federal
Department of Education was created in 1979, it was called the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
(HEW).
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services
1. What is the goal of the Department of Health and Human Services?
2. What is the motto?
3. When was it created, and what was it called?
Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government
concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material. Its
responsibilities include the nation's nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the United States
Navy, energy conservation, energy-related research, radioactive waste disposal, and domestic energy
production. DOE also sponsors more basic and applied scientific research than any other US federal agency;
most of this is funded through its system of United States Department of Energy National Laboratories.
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Energy
1. What is the Department of Energy responsible for?
2. What does it also sponsor?
Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for (the) Education Department, is
a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. Recreated by the Department of Education
Organization Act (Public Law 96-88) and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on October 17, 1979, it
began operating on May 16, 1980. The Department of Education Organization Act divided the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human
Services. The Department of Education is administered by the United States Secretary of Education. It is by far
the smallest Cabinet-level department, with about 5,000 employees. The agency's official acronym is ED (and
not DOE, which refers to the United States Department of Energy). It is also often abbreviated informally as
DoED. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Education
1. When was it created and by who?
2. What was it created out of?
3. What is an interesting fact about it in the Cabinet?
Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system
with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States
Department of Defense. VA employs nearly 280,000 people at hundreds of Veterans Affairs medical facilities,
clinics, and benefits offices and is responsible for administering programs of veterans’ benefits for veterans,
their families, and survivors. The benefits provided include disability compensation, pension, education, home
loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivors’ benefits, medical benefits and burial benefits. The
Department of Veterans Affairs is headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, appointed by the President with
the advice and consent of the Senate. The primary function of the Department of Veterans Affairs is to support
Veterans in their time after service by providing certain benefits and supports. A current initiative in the
Department of Veterans Affairs is to prevent and end Veterans' homelessness, with the VA working with the
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness to address these issues. The Department has three main
subdivisions, known as Administrations, each headed by an Undersecretary:
•Veterans Health Administration - responsible for providing health care in all its forms, as well as for
biomedical research (under the Office of Research and Development, Community Based Outpatient Clinics
(CBOCs), and Regional Medical Centers
•Veterans Benefits Administration - responsible for initial veteran registration, eligibility determination, and
five key lines of business (benefits and entitlements): Home Loan Guaranty, Insurance, Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment, Education (GI Bill), and Compensation & Pension
•National Cemetery Administration - responsible for providing burial and memorial benefits, as well as for
maintenance of VA cemeteries
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Veterans_Affairs
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What number is the Department of Veterans Services in size in the Cabinet today?
How many people does the VA employ and where are they employed?
What benefits do they provide?
What is the primary function of the Department
Explain the three subdivisions of this Department
a. Veterans Health Administration
b. Veterans Benefits Administration
c. National Cemetery Administration
Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a cabinet department of the United States federal
government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting
the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to terrorist attacks, man-made
accidents, and natural disasters. Whereas the Department of Defense is charged with military actions abroad, the
Department of Homeland Security works in the civilian sphere to protect the United States within, at, and
outside its borders. Its stated goal is to prepare for, prevent, and respond to domestic emergencies, particularly
terrorism. On March 1, 2003, DHS absorbed the Immigration and Naturalization Service and assumed its
duties. In doing so, it divided the enforcement and services functions into two separate and new agencies:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services. The investigative divisions
and intelligence gathering units of the INS and Customs Service were merged together forming Homeland
Security Investigations. Additionally, the border enforcement functions of the INS, including the U.S. Border
Patrol, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were consolidated into a
new agency under DHS: U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Federal Protective Service falls under the
National Protection and Programs Directorate. With more than 200,000 employees, DHS is the third largest
Cabinet department, after the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Homeland security policy is
coordinated at the White House by the Homeland Security Council. Other agencies with significant homeland
security responsibilities include the Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, and Energy.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security
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When and why was the Department of Homeland Security created?
What are the primary responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Defense?
What is the difference between the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security?
What is the main goal of the Department of Homeland Security?
Describe all of the following
a. Immigration and Naturalization Service became what two organizations?
b. What formed Homeland Security Investigations?
c. What groups now fall into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection?