The President's Cabinet
Do you have friends that you turn to for advice?
When the President wants advice he asks a group of people called the
Cabinet. The purpose of the Cabinet is to advise the President. They
are the President's closest and most trusted advisors. The Cabinet includes
the Vice President, the heads of 15 executive branch departments, and
other Government officials chosen by the President. The Cabinet meets
at least once a week to discuss matters that effect the United States.
The 14 Secretaries from the executive departments
and the Attorney General are nominated by the President, and they must
be approved (confirmed) by a majority vote (51 votes) of the Senate.
Nominees can not be a member of Congress or hold any other elected office.
Executive department Secretaries and the Attorney General serve as long
as the President is in office.
The following is a list of the 15 executive department agencies, when
that department was created, and a brief description of the department.
The list is organized by order of succession. More detailed information
is available in the United
States Government Manual.
![Department of State Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_state.gif) |
Secretary of State
Department
of State (1789):
Works with other countries. |
![Department of the Treasury Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_treasury.gif) |
Secretary of the Treasury
Department
of the Treasury (1789):
Supervises the collection of taxes and the printing of money. |
![Department of Defense Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_defense.gif) |
Secretary of Defense
Department
of Defense (1947):
Oversees the armed forces. |
![Department of Justice Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_justice.gif) |
Attorney General
Department
of Justice (1870):
Enforces the U.S. Government's laws. |
![Department of the Interior Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_interior.gif) |
Secretary of the Interior
Department
of the Interior (1849):
Protects natural resources and wildlife. |
![Department of Agriculture Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_ag.gif) |
Secretary of Agriculture
Department
of Agriculture (1862):
Ensures a healthy food supply and provides support for farmers. |
![Department of Commerce Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_commerce.gif) |
Secretary of Commerce
Department
of Commerce (1903):
Promotes business and job opportunities for all Americans, responsible
for all copyrights, patents, and trademarks; and oversees matters
related to oceans, weather, and technology. |
![Department of Labor Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_labor.gif) |
Secretary of Labor
Department
of Labor (1913):
Oversees the interests of U.S. workers. |
![Department of Health and Human Services Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_hhs.gif) |
Secretary of Health & Human Services
Department
of Health and Human Services (1953):
Looks after people's health and provides services including conducting
medical research, preventing diseases, assuring the safety of food
and drugs; providing financial assistance for low income families. |
![Department of Housing and Urban Development Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_hud.gif) |
Secretary of Housing & Development
Department
of Housing and Urban Development (1965):
Oversees housing needs, and focuses on improving and developing
communities. |
![Department of Transportation Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_trans.gif) |
Secretary of Transportation
Department
of Transportation (1966):
Oversees the nation's transportation system including highways,
railroads, ports, and air travel. |
![Department of Energy Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_energy.gif)
|
Secretary of Energy
Department
of Energy (1977):
Researches and develops energy systems that are friendly to the
environment, but are not too expensive. |
![Department of Education Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_education.gif) |
Secretary of Education
Department
of Education (1979):
Establishes guidelines and provides leadership to address American
education. It helps local communities meet the needs of their students. |
![Department of Veterans Affairs Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/dept_veterans.gif) |
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Department
of Veterans Affairs (1988):
Operates programs for veterans and their families. |
![Department of Homeland Security Seal](../../../images/icons/cabinet/ohs-seal.jpg) |
Secretary of Homeland Security
Department
of Homeland Security (2003):
Works to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce
America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage
from potential attacks and natural disasters. |
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