• The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself.
• One of the principal purposes of the Cabinet
(drawn from Article II, Section 2 of the
Constitution) is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of their respective offices.

• The President nominates and the Senate must confirm the nominee.
• President will usually reward loyal party members and may often select 1 position from the opposition party.
• Multiculturalism is often taken into consideration.

• Advises President on foreign policy
• Negotiates treaties with foreign countries
• Office of Passport
Services
• Thomas Jefferson - 1 st
• Secretary of State today is John Kerry.

• Produces coins and bills; collects taxes
• Enforces alcohol, tobacco and firearms laws
• Borrows money
• IRS and United States Mint
• Alexander Hamilton - 1 st
• Secretary of Treasury today is Jack Lew.

• Provides military forces to deter war and protect the nation’s security
• Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Departments of Navy,
Army and Air Force
• Henry Knox – 1 st.
• Secretary of Defense today is Chuck Hagel.

• Prosecutes those accused of violating federal law
• Provides legal advice for
President
• Represents US in court
• FBI, DEA, ATF, US Marshals.
• Edmond Randolph – 1 st
• Attorney General today is
Eric Holder.

• Manages public lands, wildlife refuges, and national parks
• Helps Native Americans manage their affairs
• US Fish and Wildlife Service.
• National Park Service
• Thomas Ewing - 1 st
• Secretary of Interior today is
Sally Jewell.

• Manages national forests
• Inspects food
• Administers food stamp and school lunch programs
• Food and Nutrition Service
• Norm Coleman- 1 st
• Secretary of Agriculture today is Tom Vilsack.

• Conducts Census
• Grants patents and registers trademarks
• Bureau of the Census
• International Trade
Administration
• William C. Redfield - 1 st
• Secretary of Commerce today is Penny Pritzker.

• Enforces federal law on minimum wages, maximum hours, and safe working conditions
• OSHA, Bureau of Labor
Statistics
• William B. Wilson - 1 st
• Secretary of Labor today is
Thomas E. Perez.

• Funds health care research programs
• Enforces pure food and drug act
• Medicare and Medicaid
• Food and Drug Admin and
CDC
• Patricia Harris - 1 st
• Secretary of HHS today is
Kathleen Sibelius.

• Operates home – financing and public housing programs
• Enforces fair housing laws
• Office of Housing
• Robert C. Weaver- 1 st
• Secretary of Housing today is Shaun Donovan.

• Administers programs to promote and regulate highways, mass transit, railroads and air travel
• Federal Highway and
Aviation Administration
• Alan S. Boyd - 1 st
• Secretary of Transportation today is Anthony Fox.

• Promotes production of renewable energy, fossil fuels, and nuclear energy
• Conducts nuclear weapons research and production
•
James R. Schlesinger - 1 st
• Secretary of Energy today is Ernest Moniz.

• Administers federal aid to schools and conducts educational research
• Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education
• Shirley Hufstedler - 1 st
• Secretary of Education today is Arne Duncan.

• Administrers benefits, pensions, and medical programs for veterans
• Veteran Benefits Admin.
• National Cemetery Admin.
• Edward J. Derwinski - 1 st
• Secretary of Veterans
Affairs today is Gen. Eric
Shinseki

• Border and transportation security
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Coast Guard, TSA, and immigration services
• Tom Ridge – 1 st
• Secretary of Homeland
Security today is Jeh
Johnson