United States federal executive departments

"Executive Department" redirects here. For the idea of executive departments in general, see Cabinet (politics).

The United States federal executive departments are the primary units of the executive branch of the Federal government of the United States. They are analogous to ministries common in parliamentary or semi-presidential systems but (the United States being a presidential system) they are led by a head of government who is also the head of state. The executive departments are the administrative arms of the President of the United States. There are currently 15 executive departments.

The heads of the executive departments receive the title of Secretary of their respective department, except for the Attorney-General who is head of the Justice Department (and the Postmaster General who until 1971 was head of the Post Office Department). The heads of the executive departments are appointed by the President and take office after confirmation by the United States Senate, and serve at the pleasure of the President. The heads of departments are members of the Cabinet of the United States, an executive organ that normally acts as an advisory body to the President. In the Opinion Clause (Article II, section 2, clause 1) of the U.S. Constitution, heads of executive departments are referred to as "principal Officer in each of the executive Departments".

The heads of executive departments are included in the line of succession to the President, in the event of a vacancy in the presidency, after the Vice President, the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate.

Executive departments

Departments are listed by their present-day name and only departments with past or present cabinet-level status are listed.

Department
 Creation
 Dissolution Order of
succession[1]		 Notes 2017 Outlays
in billions
of dollars
[2]		 Employees
State 1789[3] Current 4 Initially named "Department of Foreign Affairs" 27.07 18,900
War (Army) 1789 1949 n/a In the National Security Act of 1947, the Air Force was separated and the Department of War was renamed to the Department of the Army. From 1947 to 1949, the Department of the Army, along with the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, was an executive department with non-cabinet level secretaries who reported to the civilian Secretary of Defense with cabinet rank but no department. Since 1949 the Department of the Army has been a Military Department within the Department of Defense. n/a n/a
Treasury 1789[4] Current 5 546.397 115,897
Post Office 1792 1971 n/a Reorganized as quasi-independent agency, United States Postal Service n/a n/a
Navy 1798 1949 n/a In 1949, along with the Departments of the Army and the Navy, this department became a Military Department within the Department of Defense. n/a n/a
Justice 1870[5] Current 7 Attorney General created in 1789, but had no department until 1870 30.979 113,543
Interior 1849[6] Current 8 Took responsibility of offices previously managed by other departments, War, Treasury, and State, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, General Land Office, and United States Patent and Trademark Office that were seen as having little to do with their respective Departments. 12.154 71,436
Agriculture 1889[7] Current 9 Elevated to Cabinet level in 1889 127.558 109,832
Commerce 1903[8] Current 10 Originally named Commerce and Labor. In 1913, Labor was separated and the Department renamed to its current name. 10.31 43,880[9]
Labor 1913[10] Current 11 Originally part of the Department of Commerce and Labor. 40.124 17,347
Defense 1947[11] Current 6 Created by the National Security Act of 1947. Initially named National Military Establishment from 1947 to 1949. Created from a merger of the Department of War and Department of the Navy. 568.896 3,000,000
Air Force 1947 1949 n/a Originally part of the Department of War. From 1947 to 1949, this department, along with the Departments of the Army and Navy, was an executive department with non-cabinet level secretaries who reported to the civilian Secretary of Defense with cabinet rank but no department. Since 1949 it has been a Military Department within the Department of Defense. n/a n/a
Health and Human Services 1953[10] Current 12 Originally the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1979, Education was separated and the Department renamed to its current name. 1,116.779 67,000
Housing and Urban Development 1965[12] Current 13 55.481 10,600
Transportation 1966[13] Current 14 79.439 58,622
Energy 1977[14] Current 15 25.8 109,094
Education 1979[15] Current 16 111.702 4,487
Veterans Affairs 1989[16] Current 17 Formerly an independent agency as the Veterans Administration 176.05 235,000
Homeland Security 2002[17] Current 18 Created by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 50.499 240,000
Total outlays, employees:         2,979.238 Bn 4,214,652

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Wilson, Reid (October 20, 2013). "The Presidential order of succession". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ "2019 Budget Tables" (PDF). 2019 Budget Tables. Government Publishing Office. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Office of the Historian - Milestones - 1776-1783 - Articles of Confederation". History.state.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  4. ↑ "History". Treasury.gov. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  5. ↑ "USDOJ: About DOJ". Justice.gov. 2009-09-30. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  6. ↑ "History of Interior". Doi.gov. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-15. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  8. ↑ "Secretaries | Department of Commerce". Commerce.gov. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  9. ↑ "Department of Commerce FY 2009 Budget in Brief". Osec.doc.gov. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  10. 1 2 "The U.S. Department of Labor Historical Timeline - U.S. Department of Labor". Dol.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  11. ↑ "About The Department of Defense (DOD)". Defense.gov. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  12. ↑ "HUD History/U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)". Portal.hud.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  13. ↑ Archived August 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ "Department of Energy Organization Act" (PDF). U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. August 4, 1977.
  15. ↑ "Overview and Mission Statement | U.S. Department of Education". .ed.gov. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  16. ↑ Department of Veterans Affairs. "History - VA History - About VA". Va.gov. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  17. ↑ "Creation of the Department of Homeland Security | Homeland Security". Dhs.gov. Retrieved 2012-12-29.

References

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