United States Federal Executive Departments

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United States Federal Executive Departments

The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States

Federal government of the United States

The Federal Government of the United States is the central current reigning United States governmental body, established by the United States Constitution....
—the Departments of State

United States Department of State

The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the United States Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States Federal government of the United States, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc....
, War

United States Department of War

The United States Department of War, sometimes also called the War Office, was the department of the United States Federal government of the United States's Federal government of the United States#Executive branch responsible for the operation and maintenance of land Military of the United States from 1789 until September 18, 1947,...
, and the Treasury

United States Department of the Treasury

The Department of the Treasury is an United States federal executive departments and the treasury of the United States Federal government of the United States....
all being established within a few weeks of each other in 1789.

The heads of the federal executive departments are the members of the traditional Cabinet

United States Cabinet

The United States Cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, and its existence dates back to the first United States of America President of the United States, George Washington, who appointed a Cabinet of four people to advise and assist him in his dutie...
; since 1792, they have, by statutory specification, constituted a line of succession

United States presidential line of succession

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The current Speaker is Nancy Pelosi, a Democratic Party representing California's 8th congressional district....
and the president pro tempore of the Senate

President pro tempore of the United States Senate

The President pro tempore is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate and the highest-ranking senator. The United States Constitution states the Vice President of the United States serves ex officio as President of the Senate, and is the highest-ranking official of the Senate even though he or she only votes in the cas...
to the presidency

President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
in the event of a vacancy in both that office and the vice presidency

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office in the United States of America created by the Constitution of the United States....
.

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Encyclopedia

The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States

Federal government of the United States

The Federal Government of the United States is the central current reigning United States governmental body, established by the United States Constitution....
—the Departments of State

United States Department of State

United States Department of War

United States Department of the Treasury

United States Cabinet

United States presidential line of succession

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

President pro tempore of the United States Senate

President of the United States

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office in the United States of America created by the Constitution of the United States....
. The Constitution

United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America; the Federal Government of the United States; and all the State & local governments and Territorial Administrative bodies contained therein....
refers to these officials when it authorizes the President, in Article II, section 2, to "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 brief, they and their organizations are the administrative arms of the President.

Departments

All departments are listed by their present-day name and only departments with past or present cabinet-level status are listed. Order of succession

United States presidential line of succession

The United States presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as President of the United States upon the incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting president or a President-elect of the United States....
has always included the vice president; at times – including presently – the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate have also been included.

Department	Creation	Order of succession	Modifications since creation	2007 Budget in billions of dollars	Employees (2007)
State United States Department of State The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the United States Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States Federal government of the United States, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc....	1789	4	Initially named "Department of Foreign Affairs"	9.96	30,266
Treasury United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury is an United States federal executive departments and the treasury of the United States Federal government of the United States....	1789	5		11.10	115,897
Defense United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....	1947	6	Initially named "National Military Establishment"	439.30	3,000,000
Justice United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice is a United States Cabinet department in the United States government of the United States designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans ....	1870	7	Position of Attorney General United States Attorney General The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the government of the United States.... created in 1789, but had no department until 1870	23.40	112,557
Interior United States Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior , also called the Interior Department, is the United States federal executive departments of the Federal government of the United States responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans in the United States, A...	1849	8		10.70	71,436
Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive departments responsible for developing and executing Federal government of the United States policy on farming, agriculture, and food....	1889	9		77.60	109,832
Commerce United States Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is the United States Cabinet department of the United States Federal government of the United States concerned with promoting economic growth....	1903	10	Originally named Commerce and Labor United States Department of Commerce and Labor The United States Department of Commerce and Labor was a short-lived United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States, which was concerned with business, industry, and labour .... ; Labor later separated	6.20	36,000
Labor United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor is a United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics....	1913	11		59.70	17,347
Health and Human Services United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services , is a United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services....	1953	12	Originally named Health, Education, and Welfare; Education later separated	543.20	67,000
Housing and Urban Development United States Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known by the term, HUD, is a United States Cabinet department of the United States federal government of the United States....	1965	13		46.20	10,600
Transportation United States Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation is a federal United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States concerned with transportation....	1966	14		58.00	58,622
Energy United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy is a United States Cabinet-level department of the United States government of the United States responsible for Energy policy of the United States and nuclear safety....	1977	15		21.50	116,100
Education United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet-level department of the United States government of the United States. Created by the Department of Education Organization Act , it was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on October 17, 1979 and began operating on May 4, 1980....	1979	16		62.80	4,487
Veterans Affairs United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with United States Cabinet-level status. It is responsible for administering programs of veterans? benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors....	1989	17	Initially named "Veterans Administration"	73.20	235,000
Homeland Security United States Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security is a United States Cabinet United States federal executive departments of the United States federal government of the United States with the responsibility of protecting the territory of the U.S....	2002	18		44.6	208,000
Total budget (fiscal year 2007):				1,523.42	4,193,144

Past departments

Department	Dates of Operation	Notes
War United States Department of War The United States Department of War, sometimes also called the War Office, was the department of the United States Federal government of the United States's Federal government of the United States#Executive branch responsible for the operation and maintenance of land Military of the United States from 1789 until September 18, 1947,...	1789–1947	Subsumed by Department of Defense United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States.... , renamed Department of the Army United States Department of the Army The Department of the Army is one of the three service departments in the United States Department of Defense. It is headed by the United States Secretary of the Army, a civilian, who is responsible for the administrative affairs of the United States Army....
Post Office United States Post Office Department The Post Office Department is the former name of the United States Postal Service when it was a United States Cabinet department. It was headed by the United States Postmaster General....	1792–1971	Reorganized as quasi-independent agency, United States Postal Service United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service is an Independent agencies of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States....
Navy United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy was established by an Act of Congress on April 30, 1798, to provide administrative and technical support, and civilian leadership to the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps ....	1798–1947	Subsumed by Department of Defense; it has been proposed that the Secretary of Homeland Security United States Secretary of Homeland Security The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens.... assume the position in the order of succession once held by the Secretary of the Navy United States Secretary of the Navy The United States Secretary of the Navy is the civilian head of the United States Department of the Navy. The position was a member of the President of the United States United States Cabinet until 1947, when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were placed in the United States Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy was...
Commerce and Labor United States Department of Commerce and Labor The United States Department of Commerce and Labor was a short-lived United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States, which was concerned with business, industry, and labour ....	1903–1913	Divided between Department of Commerce United States Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is the United States Cabinet department of the United States Federal government of the United States concerned with promoting economic growth.... and Department of Labor United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor is a United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics....
Health, Education, and Welfare United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare The United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was a Cabinet -level department of the United States government from 1953 until 1979....	1953–1979	Divided between Department of Health and Human Services United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services , is a United States Cabinet department of the United States government of the United States with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.... and Department of Education United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet-level department of the United States government of the United States. Created by the Department of Education Organization Act , it was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on October 17, 1979 and began operating on May 4, 1980....