The
United States order of precedence lists the ceremonial order for domestic and foreign government officials, military and civic leaders at diplomatic, ceremonial, and social events within the United States and abroad. Former Presidents, First Ladies, Secretaries of State and Supreme Court Justices are also included in the list. The order is established by the
PresidentThe 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...
, through the Office of the
Chief of StaffThe White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President...
, and is maintained by the
State DepartmentThe United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc. in other countries...
's
Office of the Chief of ProtocolThe Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...
.
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The
United States order of precedence lists the ceremonial order for domestic and foreign government officials, military and civic leaders at diplomatic, ceremonial, and social events within the United States and abroad. Former Presidents, First Ladies, Secretaries of State and Supreme Court Justices are also included in the list. The order is established by the
PresidentThe 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...
, through the Office of the
Chief of StaffThe White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President...
, and is maintained by the
State DepartmentThe United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc. in other countries...
's
Office of the Chief of ProtocolThe Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...
. It has no legal standing; it does not reflect the
presidential line of successionThe 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.- Current order :This is a list of the current presidential line of...
or the co-equal status of the
branches of governmentSeparation of powers is the political doctrine under which the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are kept distinct, to prevent abuse of power. This U.S...
under the
ConstitutionThe 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 and the federal government of the United States...
, and is only used to indicate ceremonial
protocolIn international politics, protocol is the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state.A protocol is a rule which guides how an activity should be performed, especially in the field of diplomacy. In diplomatic services and governmental fields of endeavor protocols are often unwritten guidelines...
.
Details as of September 2009
(Except as otherwise noted, positions in the list are from three sources.)
- President
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...
(Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
)
- Foreign heads of state/Reigning monarchs
The current list consists of Heads of States, who serve as chiefs or monarchs.-Africa:-Asia, Middle East and Oceania:-Europe:...
- Vice President
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people through the Electoral College to a four-year term...
(Joseph R. Biden Jr.)
- Governor (while in his or her state)
- Mayor
"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
(while in his or her city)
- Speaker of the House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The current Speaker is Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat representing California's 8th congressional district....
(Nancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
)
- Chief Justice
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States...
(John Roberts)
- Living Former Presidents (in order of term)
- Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
(January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981)
- Rosalyn Carter
- George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st President of the United States . He was also Ronald Reagan's Vice President , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence....
(January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993)
- Barbara Pierce Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the elder of the fraternal twin daughters of the 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, and the granddaughter of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush...
- Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
(January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
- Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving within the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she served as First Lady of...
(only when accompanied by President Clinton)
- George W. Bush
George Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
(January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009)
- Laura Welch Bush
- Ambassadors from the United States (while at their posts)
- Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence. The current Secretary of...
(Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving within the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she served as First Lady of...
) (claims President Bill Clinton's order of precedence at #8.3 if present with her husband.)
- Ambassadors to the United States (in order of tenure)
- Widows of former Presidents (in order of spouse's term)
- Betty Ford
Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Bloomer Ford is the widow of former United States President Gerald R. Ford and served as the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977. As first lady, Betty Ford was active in social policy and shattered precedents as a politically active presidential wife...
(August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977)
- Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and served as an influential First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was born in New York; her parents divorced soon after her birth and she grew up in Maryland, living with an aunt and uncle while her...
(January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989)
- Ministers of foreign powers
- Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
(in order of appointment)
- John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens is the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He joined the Supreme Court in 1975 and is the oldest member of the Court. He was appointed to the Court by Republican President Gerald Ford. Stevens is widely considered to be on the liberal side of the...
(December 19, 1975)
- Antonin Scalia
is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan having previously served on the D.C. Circuit and in the Nixon and Ford administrations, and teaching law at the Universities of Virginia and Chicago...
(September 26, 1986)
- Anthony Kennedy
Anthony McLeod Kennedy is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, having been appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1988...
(February 18, 1988)
- Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, having served since 1991. Justice Thomas is the second African American to serve on the nation's highest court, after Justice Thurgood Marshall, whom he succeeded.Thomas grew up in Georgia, and graduated from...
(October 18, 1991)
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton with the support of Republican Judiciary Chairman Senator Orrin Hatch in 1993 and generally votes with the liberal wing of the court...
(August 10, 1993)
- Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court.Following a clerkship with Supreme...
(August 3, 1994)
- Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
(January 31, 2006)
- Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
(August 8, 2009)
- Retired Chief Justices (currently none)
- Retired Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
- Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist and was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006...
- David Souter
David Hackett Souter David Hackett Souter David Hackett Souter served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1990 until his retirement on June 29, 2009. Appointed by Republican President George H. W. Bush to fill the seat vacated by...
- Members of the 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...
(in the order of the creation of their departments; note that the Secretary of State already appears above, at #10; also, the creation date for the Secretary of WarThe Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
is used as the date for the Secretary of Defense's spot in the precedence)
- Secretary of the Treasury
The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and, until 2003, some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United States is analogous to the...
(Timothy Geithner)
- Secretary of Defense
The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the U.S. Department of Defense , concerned with the armed services and military matters. This position roughly corresponds to Minister of defense in other countries...
(Robert GatesRobert Michael Gates is currently serving as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. He took office on December 18, 2006. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W. Bush as Director of...
)
- 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 United States government. The Attorney General is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
(Eric HolderEric Himpton Holder, Jr. is the 82
nd and current Attorney General of the United States and the first African American to hold the position...
)
- Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
(Ken SalazarKenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is an American politician and rancher from Colorado, currently serving as United States Secretary of the Interior in the Obama administration. Salazar, a Democrat, served as Attorney General of Colorado before winning a U.S. Senate seat in the 2004 election...
)
- Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
(Tom VilsackThomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
)
- Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce." Until 1913 there was one Secretary of Commerce and...
(Gary LockeGary Locke may refer to:*Gary Locke , Chinese American politician; U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former Governor of Washington*Gary Locke *Gary Locke...
)
- Secretary of Labor
The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies....
(Hilda SolisHilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
)
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet...
(Kathleen SebeliusKathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services...
)
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, concerned with urban housing matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet....
(Shaun DonovanShaun L.S. Donovan serves as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the cabinet of President Barack Obama. Prior to this he headed the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. On December 13, 2008, in his weekly national radio address, President Barack...
)
- Secretary of Transportation
The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet...
(Ray LaHoodRaymond H. "Ray" LaHood is the current United States Secretary of Transportation and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives....
)
- Secretary of Energy
The United States Secretary of Energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fifteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Energy on October 1, 1977, by President Jimmy Carter's...
(Steven ChuSteven Chu , is a physicist and currently the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. As a scientist, Chu is known for his research in cooling and trapping of atoms with laser light, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997...
)
- Secretary of Education
The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet, and 16th in line of United States presidential line of succession...
(Arne DuncanArne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan had previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early life:...
)
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The United States Secretary of Veterans' Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and related matters...
(Eric ShinsekiEric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army four-star general who is currently serving as the 7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His final U.S. Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army . He is a veteran of combat in Vietnam, having been left with a maimed foot...
)
- 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. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the...
(Janet NapolitanoJanet Ann Napolitano is the third United States Secretary of Homeland Security. She assumed the job on January 21, 2009, and is the first woman to serve in that office...
)
- White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President...
(Rahm EmanuelRahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician currently serving as White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
)
- Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Peter Orszag
Peter Richard Orszag is an American economist who is currently the 37th Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Barack Obama. He was Director of the Congressional Budget Office when nominated.-Biography:...
)
- Director of National Drug Control Policy
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy , a former cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act...
(Gil KerlikowskeRichard Gil Kerlikowske is the current Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position generally referred to as the United States "Drug Czar". He assumed office on May 7, 2009.-Personal:...
)
- Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative is the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the President of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade...
(Ron KirkRonald "Ron" Kirk is the 16th United States Trade Representative, serving in the Obama administration. He served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1995 to 2002; he also ran for the United States Senate in 2002.-Early life and career:...
)
- Director of National Intelligence (Dennis Blair)
- Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations. The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and...
(Susan Rice)
- President pro tempore of the Senate
The President pro tempore is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate and the highest-ranking senator. The U.S...
(Robert ByrdRobert Carlyle Byrd is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia, and a member and former Senate Leader of the Democratic Party. Byrd has been a Senator since January 3, 1959 and is the longest-serving member in the Senate's history; he has been the Dean of the Senate since 2003...
)
- Current Senators
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
(by seniority; see Seniority in the United States Senate) Note that Sen. Robert Byrd already appears at #24 above as President pro tempore of the Senate.
- Governors of the States when outside home states (by order of admission of State to Union)
- Governor of Delaware
The Governor of Delaware is the executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. The current incumbent is Jack Markell of Centreville, Delaware. He is Delaware's first Jewish governor and is serving in his first term...
(Jack MarkellJack A. Markell is an American businessman and politician from Centerville, in New Castle County, Delaware. He is a member of the Democratic Party who served as State Treasurer of Delaware and is the current Governor of Delaware...
)
- Governor of Pennsylvania (Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician and Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
)
- Governor of New Jersey
The Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The current holder of that office is Jon Corzine, who re-assumed executive powers on May 7, 2007 from acting Gov. Richard Codey, after recuperating from an automobile accident on April 12, 2007...
(Jon CorzineJon Stevens Corzine is the Governor of New Jersey and a former United States Senator. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year Senate term before being elected Governor in 2005. He is a candidate for re-election in 2009....
)
- Governor of Georgia (Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue is the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
)
- Governor of Connecticut (Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and has been the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut since July 1, 2004. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female...
)
- Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
(Deval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is the first African American to hold that office...
)
- Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Maryland and is commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The Governor is the highest ranking official in the state, and has a broad range of appointive powers in state and local government, as...
(Martin O'MalleyMartin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61
st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007.-Political development:...
)
- Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
(Mark SanfordMarshall Clement Sanford Jr., known as Mark Sanford is a United States politician from South Carolina, currently serving as the Governor of South Carolina....
)
- Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
(John Lynch)
- Governor of Virginia
The Governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Democrat Tim Kaine.- Qualifications :...
(Tim KaineTimothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is an American politician, the current governor of Virginia and as of January 21, 2009, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He was elected governor in 2005, after serving as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and Mayor of Richmond, Virginia...
)
- Governor of New York (David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician and the current Governor of New York. He is the first African American governor of New York and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C...
)
- Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Bev Perdue, the current governor, is North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
(Beverly PerdueBeverly Eaves Perdue is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina.-Personal life:...
)
- Governor of Rhode Island (Donald Carcieri
Donald L. "Don" Carcieri is the Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher...
)
- Governor of Vermont
The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected biennially in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...
(Jim DouglasJames H. Douglas is an American politician from the U.S. state of Vermont. A Republican, he was first elected Governor of Vermont in 2002 and has been reelected three times since then with a majority of the vote. He is also the current Chairman of the National Governors Association.Douglas is...
)
- Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of the U.S. state of Kentucky, and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's army, navy, and militia forces...
(Steve BeshearSteven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who has been Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky since 2007...
)
- Governor of Tennessee (Phil Bredesen
Phil Bredesen is the 48th Governor of Tennessee and a Democrat, first elected in 2002. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to 1999.-Background:...
)
- Governor of Ohio (Ted Strickland
Ted Strickland is an American politician of the Democratic party and the current Governor of the state of Ohio. Before his election in 2006, he served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio’s 6th district.-Early life:Born in Lucasville, Ohio, Strickland was...
)
- Governor of Louisiana (Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the Governor of Louisiana and a Republican. Before Jindal's election as governor, he was a member of Congress for Louisiana's 1st congressional district, elected in 2004. Jindal was re-elected to the House in the 2006 election with 88 percent of the vote...
)
- Governor of Indiana (Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his four-year term as Indiana's 49th Governor on January 10, 2005 and was elected to his second term on November 4, 2008. Previously he was the Director of the Office of Management and...
)
- Governor of Mississippi (Haley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour is an American politician currently serving as the Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
)
- Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
(Pat QuinnPatrick Joseph Quinn III is the 41st Governor of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party. Quinn became governor of the state of Illinois on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich, was impeached and removed from office.-Education and personal life:Born in 1948 in...
)
- Governor of Alabama
The governor of the State of Alabama is the chief executive of the government of Alabama.The governor is responsible for upholding the Alabama Constitution and executing state law...
(Bob RileyBob Riley may refer to:* Bob Riley, 52nd Governor of Alabama* Bob C. Riley, acting Governor of Arkansas for 10 days* Bob Riley , sports car designer and founder of Riley Technologies...
)
- Governor of Maine (John Baldacci
John Elias Baldacci is an American politician who has served as the Governor of the U.S. state of Maine since 2003. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003...
)
- Governor of Missouri (Jay Nixon
Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon is the current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008...
)
- Governor of Arkansas
The Governor of the State of Arkansas is the chief executive of the state and commander-in-chief of its military forces.The current governor is Mike Beebe, who took office on January 9 2007.-Qualifications:...
(Mike BeebeMickey Dale Beebe is the current Governor of Arkansas and a Democrat.-Early life:Beebe was born in Amagon, a small town in Jackson County, Arkansas. He was raised by his mother, a waitress, and never met his father. As a child, he moved often with his family. They lived in Detroit, St. Louis,...
)
- Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Jennifer Granholm, a member of the Democratic Party, who became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor John Engler...
(Jennifer GranholmJennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, former Attorney General of Michigan, and the current Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor John...
)
- Governor of Florida (Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician of the Republican Party and the current Governor of Florida. He was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania and moved to St...
)
- Governor of Texas (Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is a Republican politician and the current Governor of Texas.Elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998, he assumed office as governor in December 2000 when Governor George W. Bush resigned before his inauguration as President of the United States...
)
- Governor of Iowa (Chet Culver
Chester John "Chet" Culver is the current governor of Iowa, having won the 2006 election. His assumption of office marks the first time that Democrats have simultaneously controlled both the executive and legislative branches of Iowa's state government since the 1965–1967 session of the Iowa...
)
- Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey in June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
(Jim DoyleJames Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He took office in January 2003 as the 44th Governor of Wisconsin...
)
- Governor of California
The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual "State of the State" addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced.The position was...
(Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
)
- Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Thirty-eight different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first...
(Tim PawlentyTimothy James "Tim" Pawlenty is the 39th and current Governor of Minnesota. In the Minnesota gubernatorial election of 2002 he was elected governor and was inaugurated on January 6, 2003. He was re-elected in 2006...
)
- Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
(Ted KulongoskiTheodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, currently serving his second term as the Governor of Oregon. As a Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon...
)
- Governor of Kansas
The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
(Mark ParkinsonMark V. Parkinson is an American lawyer, businessman, and Democratic politician who serves as the 45th Governor of Kansas.-Early life and career:...
)
- Governor of West Virginia (Joe Manchin
Joseph "Joe" Manchin III is an American politician from the State of West Virginia. Manchin was elected Governor of West Virginia in the 2004 election and took office on January 17, 2005; he was reelected in 2008...
)
- Governor of Nevada (Jim Gibbons
James Arthur "Jim" Gibbons is the 28th and current governor of the U.S. state of Nevada. A Republican, he is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, having served from 1997 to 2006.-Biography:...
)
- Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
(Dave HeinemanDavid Eugene "Dave" Heineman is the governor of Nebraska. He is a Republican.-Biography:Heineman lived in a variety of places in eastern Nebraska during his youth, eventually attending high school in Wahoo, Nebraska. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1970. He served five...
)
- Governor of Colorado
The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
(Bill Ritter)
- Governor of North Dakota
The Governor of North Dakota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The current Governor is John Hoeven. The Governor has the power to sign and veto laws, and to call the Legislative Assembly into emergency session. The Governor is also chairman of the North Dakota Industrial...
(John HoevenJohn Henry Hoeven III , is the current Governor of North Dakota and a member of the North Dakota Republican Party. He has been serving as Governor since December 15 2000, making him the longest-serving current Governor in the United States...
)
- Governor of South Dakota
The Governor of South Dakota is the head of the executive branch of the government of South Dakota. The current governor is M. Michael Rounds, a Republican elected in 2002.-Powers and duties:...
(Mike RoundsMarion Michael "Mike" Rounds is an American politician. Rounds has served as Governor of South Dakota since January 7, 2003, having been elected on November 5, 2002 and re-elected on November 7, 2006.-Personal:...
)
- Governor of Montana (Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is a Democrat and the current governor of Montana, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a...
)
- Governor of Washington (Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the current Governor and former Attorney General of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004 and again in the 2008 gubernatorial election...
)
- Governor of Idaho (Butch Otter)
- Governor of Wyoming (Dave Freudenthal
David Duane Freudenthal, or Dave Freudenthal , is the current Governor of Wyoming. A Democrat, he was reelected to his second term on November 7, 2006, and is term-limited in the 2010 election....
)
- Governor of Utah (Gary Herbert
Gary Richard Herbert is the 17th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Utah. Having served as Lieutenant Governor since 2005, he assumed the governorship on August 11, 2009, following the resignation of Jon Huntsman.-Personal life:Herbert was born to Paul and Carol Peters in American Fork,...
)
- Governor of Oklahoma
The Governor of the State of Oklahoma is the head of state for the State of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
(Brad HenryCharles Bradford "Brad" Henry is the Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
)
- Governor of New Mexico (Bill Richardson)
- Governor of Arizona (Jan Brewer
Janice Kay Drinkwine Brewer , usually known as Jan Brewer, is the governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and is a Republican...
)
- Governor of Alaska (Sean Parnell
Sean R. Parnell is an American Republican politician who is the 12th and current Governor of Alaska. Parnell succeeded Sarah Palin on July 26, 2009 following her resignation...
)
- Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii, also called Ke Kiaaina o Hawaii, is the chief executive of the State of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of...
(Linda LingleLinda Lingle is the current governor of Hawaii. She was sworn in for a second term as Governor on December 4, 2006. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
)
- Acting heads of executive departments
- Former Vice Presidents (in order of term) (note that George H. W. Bush, who would otherwise appear at #28.2 in this list, already appears at #8.2 above as Former President)
- Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick Mondale is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. He was the 42nd Vice President of the United States under President Jimmy Carter, a two-term United States Senator from Minnesota, and the Democratic Party nominee for president in 1984...
(January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981)
- Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle was the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving under George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana.-Early life:...
(January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993)
- Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. is an American environmental activist and former politician who served as the 45th Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He is an author, businessperson, former U.S. Senator and former journalist...
(January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
- Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 in the administration of George W. Bush....
(January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009)
- Current Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(by seniority; see List of current members of the United States House of Representatives by seniority) Note that Rep. Nancy Pelosi already appears at #6 above as Speaker of the House
- Current Delegates
A Delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U.S. territory or from Washington, D.C. to a two-year term. While unable to vote in the full House, a non-voting Delegate may vote in a House committee of which the Delegate is a member...
(by seniority)
- Eni Faleomavaega (January 3, 1989)
- Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes Norton is a Delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia. In her position she is able to serve on and vote with committees, as well as speak from the House floor...
(January 3, 1991)
- Donna Christian-Christensen
Donna Marie Christian-Christensen, formerly Donna Christian-Green , is the non-voting Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands to the United States House of Representatives ....
(January 3, 1997)
- Madeleine Bordallo
Madeleine Z. Bordallo is the Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:Bordallo was born in Graceville, Minnesota to a military family and grew up on Guam after her father was stationed there. She attended St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana and the College...
(January 3, 2003)
- Pedro Pierluisi
Pedro R. Pierluisi Urrutia is a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico and the United States Democratic Party...
(January 3, 2009)
- Gregorio Sablan
Gregorio "Kilili" Camacho Sablan is a Northern Mariana politician and former election commission director. Sablan was elected in 2008 as the first nonvoting delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands...
(January 3, 2009)
- Governor of Puerto Rico
The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
(Luis FortuñoLuis Guillermo Fortuño-Burset is the ninth and current Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States...
)
- National Security Adviser
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief adviser to the President of the United States on national security issues...
(James JonesJames Logan Jones Jr. is the current United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general....
)
- Counselor to the President
The Counselor to the President was the highest-ranking assistant to the President of the United States for communications, and a member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States under George W. Bush. In the administration of George W. Bush, the Counselor oversaw the...
and Assistants to the PresidentThe Executive Office of the President consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. The EOP is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, currently Rahm Emanuel.-History:In 1939, during Franklin D...
- Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission on a temporary basis.-Chargés d’affaires:...
of foreign countries
- Former Secretaries of State (in order of term)
- Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger , is a German-born American political scientist, diplomat, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the Nixon Administration....
(September 22, 1973 – January 20, 1977)
- Alexander Haig
Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr. is a retired United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. In 1973 Haig served as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, the number-two...
(January 22, 1981 – July 5, 1982)
- George Shultz
George Pratt Shultz is an American economist, statesman, and businessman. He served as the United States Secretary of Labor from 1969 to 1970, as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1972 to 1974, and as the U.S. Secretary of State from 1982 to 1989...
(July 16, 1982 – January 20, 1989)
- James Baker
James Addison Baker, III is an American attorney, politician, political administrator, and political advisor.He served as the Chief of Staff in President Ronald Reagan's first administration and in the final year of the administration of President George H. W. Bush...
(January 20, 1989 – August 23, 1992)
- Lawrence Eagleburger
Lawrence Sidney Eagleburger is an American statesman and former career diplomat, who served briefly as the United States Secretary of State under President George H. W. Bush. Previously, he had served in lesser capacities under Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W...
(December 8, 1992 – January 20, 1993)
- Warren Christopher
Warren Minor Christopher is an American diplomat, lawyer, and public servant. During Bill Clinton's first term as President, Christopher served as the 63rd Secretary of State...
(January 20, 1993 – January 17, 1997)
- Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbel Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99-0...
(January 23, 1997 – January 20, 2001)
- Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State , serving under President George W. Bush. He was the first African American appointed to that position...
(January 20, 2001 – January 26, 2005)
- Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is a professor, diplomat, author, and national security expert. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
(January 26, 2005 – January 20, 2009)
- Deputy Secretaries of Executive Departments
- Deputy Secretary of State
The Deputy Secretary of State of the United States is the chief assistant to the Secretary of State who is responsible for foreign affairs. If the Secretary of State resigns or dies, the Deputy Secretary of State becomes Acting Secretary of State until the President nominates and the Senate...
(Jacob LewJacob "Jack" J. Lew is the United States Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Lew was previously the Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget from 1998 to 2001...
, James SteinbergJames B. "Jim" Steinberg is an American academic and political advisor, and is currently Deputy Secretary of State. He was previously the Dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin....
)
- Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
The Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of the Treasury in the supervision and direction of the Department of the Treasury and its activities, and succeeds the Secretary in his absence, sickness, or unavailability...
(Neal S. WolinNeal S. Wolin is the current U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary. On March 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Wolin as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's deputy secretary. Wolin spent six years in the Clinton administration as deputy counsel and general counsel at the Treasury...
)
- Deputy Secretary of Defense
The United States Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Defense. According to the U.S. Defense department website, the Deputy Secretary has the authority to...
(William LynnWilliam J. Lynn III is the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. Before that he was Under Secretary of Defense and a lobbyist for Raytheon.-Biography:...
)
- Deputy Attorney General
United States Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Justice, and may act as Attorney General during the...
(David OgdenDavid William Ogden , known professionally as David W. Ogden, is the Deputy Attorney General of the United States...
)
- Deputy Secretary of the Interior
The Deputy Secretary of the Interior, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of the Interior in the supervision and direction of the Department of the Interior and its activities, and succeeds the Secretary in his or her absence, sickness, or unavailability. The Deputy...
(David J. HayesDavid J. Hayes is the Deputy Secretary of the Interior in the Obama administration. His nomination was confirmed on May 20, 2009 by the United States Senate and he took office on May 22, 2009...
- Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Deputy Secretary becomes Acting Secretary of Agriculture in the event of the Secretary's...
(Kathleen A. MerriganKathleen Merrigan was sworn in as the United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture on April 8, 2009.Merrigan helped develop USDA's organic labeling rules while head of the Agricultural Marketing Service from 1999-2001. Between her USDA positions, she worked at Tufts University as Director of the...
)
- Deputy Secretary of Commerce
The Deputy Secretary of Commerce is a high ranking position within the United States Department of Commerce. It was createdon December 13, 1979 when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and nominated Luther H. Hodges, Jr., who then currently held the title of Under Secretary of...
- Deputy Secretary of Labor
United States Deputy Secretary of Labor is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Labor. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Secretary oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Labor, and may act as Secretary of Labor during the absence...
(Seth David Harris)
- Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
The Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services is the chief operating officer of the largest department in the United States government. The Deputy Secretary oversees all operations within the Department, including oversees Medicare, Medicaid, public health, medical research, food and drug...
(William V. Corr)
- Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Deputy Secretary is responsible for managing the Department's day-to-day operations, a $32 billion budget, and...
(Ronald C. SimsRonald Cordell Sims, , is currently the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, having been confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8th. He is also the former King County Executive...
)
- Deputy Secretary of Transportation
The Deputy Secretary of Transportation, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of Transportation in the supervision and direction of the Department of Transporatation . The Deputy Secretary would succeed the Secretary in his absence, sickness, or unavailability.The...
(John D. Porcari)
- Deputy Secretary of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(Daniel B. Poneman)
- Deputy Secretary of Education
The Deputy Secretary of Education oversees and manages the development of policies in the United States Department of Education. The Deputy Secretary focuses primarily on K–12 education policy, such as No Child Left Behind, the High School Initiative, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education...
(Anthony W. MillerAnthony Wilder "Tony" Miller was confirmed as United States Deputy Secretary of Education on July 24, 2009 to replace Raymond Simon, who resigned from this Office on January 20, 2009.-Career:...
)
- Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and their...
(W. Scott GouldW. Scott Gould was confirmed as United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs on April 2, 2009 to replace Gordon H. Mansfield, who resigned from this Office on January 20, 2009.-Career:...
)
- Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
The Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security. In this role, the Deputy Secretary serves as Department of Homeland Security's chief operating officer, with responsibility for managing day-to-day operations...
(Jane Holl LuteJane Holl Lute currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, having been confirmed by the Senate on April 3, 2009. Previously, Lute was the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support...
)
- Solicitor General
The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the Government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. Currently, the Solicitor General is Elena Kagan, who was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 19, 2009.The Solicitor General...
(Elena KaganElena Kagan is the Solicitor General of the United States. She is the first woman to hold that office, having been nominated by President Barack Obama on January 26, 2009, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 19, 2009. Kagan was formerly dean of Harvard Law School and Charles Hamilton...
)
- Administrator of the Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid...
- Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
The U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Arms Control and Disarmament Act , September 26, 1961, a bill drafted by presidential adviser John J. McCloy. Its predecessor was the U.S. Disarmament Administration, part...
- Under Secretaries of State and Counsel
A counsel or a counsellor gives advice, more particularly in legal matters.The legal system in England uses the term counsel as an approximate synonym for a barrister-at-law ', and may apply it to mean either a single person who pleads a cause, or collectively, the body of barristers engaged in a...
s
- Under Secretaries of Executive Departments
- United States Ambassadors-at-Large
An ambassador-at-large is a diplomat of the highest rank or a minister who is accredited to represent his country internationally. This is sometimes referred to as a "roving ambassador"....
- Secretaries of the service departments
- Secretary of the Army
The United States Secretary of the Army is a civilian office within the Department of Defense with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition,...
(John M. McHughJohn Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to...
)
- Secretary of the Navy
The United States Secretary of the Navy is the civilian head of the Department of the Navy. The position was a member of the President's Cabinet until 1947, when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were placed in the Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy was placed under the...
(Ray MabusRaymond Edwin "Ray" Mabus, Jr. is 75th United States Secretary of the Navy. Mabus served as Governor of the U.S. state of Mississippi from 1988 to 1992 and as United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996...
)
- Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretary of the Air Force is the civilian head of the United States Department of the Air Force, a component organization of the Department of Defense. He reports directly to the Secretary of Defense and is responsible for running the day-to-day affairs of the United States Air Force...
(Michael DonleyMichael Bruce Donley is the 22nd Secretary of the United States Air Force. Donley has 30 years of experience in the national security community, including service on the staff of the United States Senate, White House and The Pentagon...
)
- Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the executive head of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
(John PotterJohn E. "Jack" Potter is the current United States Postmaster General and CEO of the United States Postal Service, becoming the 72nd Postmaster General on June 1, 2001.-Education:...
)
- Chairman of the Federal Reserve
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is the head of the central banking system of the United States. Known colloquially as "Chairman of the Fed," or in market circles "Fed Chair" or "Fed Chief"...
(Ben BernankeBen Shalom Bernanke is an American economist, the former chair of the department of Economics at Princeton University and the current Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States Federal Reserve. Bernanke succeeded Alan Greenspan on February 1, 2006...
)
- Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality
The Council on Environmental Quality is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives...
(Nancy SutleyNancy Helen Sutley leads the White House Council on Environmental Quality.Prior to being confirmed by the Senate to lead the CEQ, she served as the Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment for the city of Los Angeles, California, and as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's appointment to the Board of...
)
- Chairman of the Export-Import Bank
The Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States federal government...
(Fred Hochberg)
- Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Federal Employees Retirement System Act of 1986. It is one of the smaller executive branch agencies, with just over 80 employees...
(Andrew SaulAndrew Marshall Saul is an American millionaire businessman from Katonah, New York who serves as the Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, United States...
)
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States armed forces, and the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense...
(Michael MullenAdmiral Michael Glenn "Mike" Mullen, USN , is the 17
th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28
th Chief of Naval Operations from July 22, 2005 to September 29, 2007. His other four-star assignments include being the...
)
- Under Secretaries of Defense
- Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the second highest ranking military officer in the United States armed forces ranking just below the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
(James Cartwright)
- Chiefs of Staff of the Four Services (in order of appointment)
- Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
(James ConwayGeneral James Terry Conway, USMC is the 34
th and current Commandant of the Marine Corps. Among his previous postings were Director of Operations on the Joint Staff and Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from 2002 through 2004 taking part in the 2003 invasion of...
)
- Chief of Staff of the Army
The Chief of Staff of the United States Army is the highest ranking officer in the United States Army and is member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
(George Casey)
- Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is the highest ranking officer in the United States Navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The CNO reports directly to the Secretary of the Navy for the command, utilization of resources and operating efficiency of the operating forces of the Navy and of...
(Gary RougheadAdmiral Gary Roughead, USN is the 29th and current Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command from May 17, 2007 to September 29, 2007. Prior to that he served as the 31st Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet from July 8, 2005 to May 8, 2007...
)
- Chief of Staff of the Air Force
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is the senior uniformed officer in United States Air Force and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The CSAF heads the Air Staff and reports directly to the Secretary of the Air Force on matters of the Air Force...
(Norton SchwartzGeneral Norton A. Schwartz, USAF is the 19
th and current Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He previously served as Commander, United States Transportation Command from September 2005 to August 2008...
)
- Commandant of the Coast Guard
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. He is the only four-star Admiral of the Coast Guard, and is appointed for a four year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United States Senate...
(Thad Allen)
- Commanders of the Unified Combatant Command
A Unified Combatant Command is a United States joint military command composed of forces from two or more services, has a broad and continuing mission, and is organized either on a geographical basis or on a functional basis...
s of four-star grade
- Africa Command
The United States Africa Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense that is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations - an area of responsibility covering all of Africa except Egypt...
(William WardGeneral William E. "Kip" Ward, USA is Commander, U.S. Africa Command, the first officer to hold this position. General Ward previously served as Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command. General Ward was commissioned into the infantry in 1971. His military education includes the Infantry Officer...
)
- Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. It was originally conceived of as the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force .Its area of responsibility is...
(David PetraeusGeneral David Howell Petraeus, USA is the 10th and current Commander, U.S. Central Command. Petraeus previously served as Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq from January 26, 2007 to September 16, 2008. As Commander of MNF-I, Petraeus oversaw all coalition forces in Iraq.Petraeus was...
)
- European Command
The "United States European Command" is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers 21 million square miles and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Iceland, Greenland, and IsraelIt was the lead...
(Bantz CraddockBantz John Craddock is a retired United States Army four-star general. His last military assignment was as Commander, U.S. European Command and the NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe as well as the commanding officer of Allied Command Operations from December 2006 to June 30, 2009. He also...
)
- Joint Forces Command
United States Joint Forces Command is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces. Unlike the six commands with responsibility for war plans and operations in specified portions of the world, USJFCOM is a functional command that provides specific services to the...
(James MattisGeneral James N. Mattis, USMC is the current Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command . He previously served as Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command and as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from November 9, 2007 to September 8, 2009. Prior to that, he served as Commanding General, I Marine...
)
- Northern Command
United States Northern Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military. Created on October 1, 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, its mission is to protect the United States homeland and support local, state, and federal authorities...
(Victor RenuartGeneral Victor Eugene "Gene" Renuart, Jr., USAF is the current Commander, United States Northern Command and Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command . He previously served as Director of Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint Staff...
)
- Pacific Command
The United States Pacific Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the armed forces of the United States, led by the Commander, Pacific Command , is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving within its area of responsibility...
(Timothy KeatingTimothy J. Keating, was a United States Navy four-star is admiral who's last assignment was as Commander, U.S. Pacific Command from March 26, 2007 to October 19, 2009. Prior to that, he served as served as Commander, U.S. Northern Command and Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command ;...
)
- Southern Command
The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central and South America, the Caribbean The United...
(James StavridisAdmiral James G. Stavridis, USN, , is the current Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe . He is the first Navy officer to become USEUCOM's and SACEUR's combatant commander. He previously served as Commander, U.S. Southern Command from October 19, 2006 to June...
)
- Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
(Eric OlsonAdmiral Eric Thor Olson, USN, is the eighth and current commander of United States Special Operations Command . Olson is the first Navy SEAL ever to be appointed to the grade of a three-star and four-star admiral as well as the first naval officer to be USSOCOM's combatant commander...
)
- Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command is one of the ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense. The Joint Chiefs of Staff created it in 1992 as a successor to the Strategic Air Command ....
(Kevin ChiltonGeneral Kevin Patrick "Chilli" Chilton, USAF, , is an engineer, the current Commander, U.S. Strategic Command , of which he assumed the duties on October 3, 2007. Prior to his selection to the rank of General, General Chilton spent 11 years of his military career as a NASA astronaut.-Early...
)
- Transportation Command
The United States Transportation Command is one of ten unified commands of the United States Department of Defense. The mission of USTRANSCOM is to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war.USTRANSCOM, located at Scott Air Force...
(Duncan McNabbGeneral Duncan J. McNabb, USAF, is the 9
th and current Commander, U.S. Transportation Command. He previously served as the 33
rd Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. He assumed his current assignment on September 5 2008....
)
- Generals of the Army
General of the Army is a five-star general officer and is the second highest possible rank in the United States Army. A special rank of General of the Armies, which ranks above General of the Army, does exist but has only been conferred twice in the history of the Army...
, Generals of the Air ForceGeneral of the Air Force is a five-star general officer rank and is the highest possible rank in the United States Air Force. General of the Air Force ranks immediately above a general and is equivalent to General of the Army in the United States Army and Fleet Admiral in the United States Navy;...
, and Fleet Admirals (currently none)
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