The Constitution
makes no provision for a presidential Cabinet. It does provide that the
president may ask opinions, in writing, from the principal officer in each of
the executive departments on any subject in their area of responsibility, but
it does not name the departments nor describe their duties. Similarly, there
are no specific constitutional qualifications for service in the Cabinet.
The Cabinet
developed outside the Constitution as a matter of practical necessity, for
even in George Washington's day it was an absolute impossibility for the
president to discharge his duties without advice and assistance. Cabinets are
what any particular president makes them. Some presidents have relied heavily
on them for advice, others lightly, and some few have largely ignored them.
Whether or not Cabinet members act as advisers, they retain the responsibility for
directing the activities of the government in specific areas of concern.
Each department has
thousands of employees, with offices throughout the country as well as in
Washington. The departments are divided into divisions, bureaus, offices and
services, each with specific duties.
THE CABINET
(All departments are headed by a
secretary, except the Justice Department, which is headed by the attorney
general.)
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE:
Created in 1862
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE:
Created in 1903. The Department of
Commerce and Labor split into two separate departments in 1913.
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE:
Amalgamated in 1947. The
Department of Defense was established by combining, the Department of War
(established in 1789), the Department of the Navy (established in 1798) and
the Department of the Air Force (established in 1947). Although the secretary
of defense is a member of the Cabinet, the secretaries of the Army, Navy and
Air Force are not.
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:
Created in 1979. Formerly part of
the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:
Created in 1977.
THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES:
Created in 1979, when the
Department of Health, Education and Welfare (created in 1953) was split into
separate entities.
THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT:
Created in 1965.
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR:
Created in 1849
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE:
Created in 1870. Between 1789 and
1870, the attorney general was a member of the Cabinet, but not the
head of a department.
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR:
Created in 1913
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE:
Created in 1789.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:
Created in 1966.
THE
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY:
Created in 1789
THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS:
Created in 1988. Formerly the
Veterans Administration, now elevated to Cabinet level
DEPARTAMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The Department of Agriculture (USDA)
supervises agricultural production to ensure fair prices and stable markets
for producers and consumers, works to improve and maintain farm income, and
helps to develop and expand markets abroad for agricultural products. The
department attempts to curb poverty, hunger and malnutrition by issuing food
stamps to the poor; sponsoring educational programs on nutrition; and administering
other food assistance programs, primarily for children, expectant mothers and
the elderly. It maintains production capacity by helping landowners protect
the soil, water, forests and other natural resources. USDA administers rural
development, credit and conservation programs that are designed to implement
national growth policies, and conducts scientific and technological research
in all areas of agriculture. Through its inspection and grading services, USDA
ensures standards of quality in food offered for sale. The department also
promotes agricultural research by maintaining the National Agricultural
Library, the second largest government library in the world. (The U.S. Library
of Congress is first.) The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) serves as an
export promotion and service agency for U.S. agriculture, employing specialists
abroad who make surveys of foreign agriculture for U.S. farm and business
interests. The U.S. Forest Service, also part of the department, administers an
extensive network of national forests and wilderness areas.
DEPARTAMENT OF COMMERCE
The Department of Commerce serves to
promote the nation's international trade, economic growth and technological advancement.
It offers assistance and information to increase America's competitiveness in
the world economy; administers programs to prevent unfair foreign trade
competition; and provides social and economic statistics and analyses for business
and government planners. The department comprises a diverse array of agencies.
The National Bureau of Standards, for example, conducts scientific and
technical research, and maintains physical measurement systems for industry and
government. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which
includes the National Weather Service, works to improve understanding of the
physical environment and oceanic resources. The Patent and Trademark Office
grants patents and registers trademarks. The department also conducts research
and develops policy on telecommunications; promotes domestic economic
development and foreign travel to the United States; and assists in the growth
of businesses owned and operated by minorities.
DEPARTAMENT OF DEFENCE
Headquartered
in the Pentagon, the "world's largest office building," the
Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for all matters relating to the
nation's military security. It provides the military forces of the United
States, which consist of about two million men and women on active duty. They
are backed, in case of emergency, by 2.5 million members of state reserve
components, known as the National Guard. In addition, about one million
civilian employees serve in the Defense Department in such areas as research,
intelligence communications, mapping and international security affairs. The
National Security Agency (NSA) also comes under the direction of the secretary
of defense. The department directs the separately organized military
departments of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, as well as each
service academy and the National War College, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and
several specialized combat commands. DOD maintains forces overseas to meet
treaty commitments, to protect the nation's outlying territories and commerce,
and to provide air combat and support forces. Nonmilitary responsibilities
include flood control, development of oceanographic resources and management
of oil reserves.
DEPARTAMENT
OF EDUCATION
The Department of Education absorbed
most of the education programs previously conducted by the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare, as well as programs that had been handled by six
other agencies. The department establishes policy for and administers more than
150 federal aid-to-education programs, including student loan programs,
programs for migrant workers, vocational programs, and special programs for
the handicapped. The Department of Education also partially supports the
American Printing House for the Blind; Gallaudet University, established to
provide a liberal higher education for deaf persons; the National Technical
Institute for the Deaf, part of the Rochester (New York) Institute of
Technology, designed to educate deaf students within a college campus, but
planned primarily for hearing students; and Howard University in Washington,
D.C., a comprehensive university which accepts students of all races, but
concentrates on educating black Americans.
DEPARTAMENT
OF ENERGY
Growing concern with the nation's
energy problems in the 1970s prompted Congress to create the Department of
Energy (DOE). The department took over the functions of several government
agencies already engaged in the energy field. Staff offices within the DOE are
responsible for the research, development and demonstration of energy
technology; energy conservation; civilian and military use of nuclear energy;
regulation of energy production and use; pricing and allocation of oil;
and a central energy data collection
and analysis program. The department protects the nation's environment by
setting standards to minimize the harmful effects of energy production. For
example, DOE conducts environmental and health-related research, such as
studies of energy-related pollutants and their effects on biological systems.
DEPARTAMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
The
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) probably directly touches the
lives of more Americans than any other federal agency. Its largest component,
the Social Security Administration, pools contributions from employers and employees
to pay benefits to workers and their families who have retired, died or become
disabled. Social Security contributions help pay medical bills for those 65
years and older as well, under a program called Medicare. Through a separate
program, called Medicaid, HHS provides grants to states to help pay the medical
costs of the poor. HHS also administers a network of medical research
facilities through the National Institutes of Health, and the Alcohol, Drug
Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Other HHS agencies ensure the safety
and effectiveness of the nation's food supply and drugs, work to prevent
outbreaks of communicable diseases, and provide health services to the nation's
American Indian and native Alaskan populations. In cooperation with the states,
HHS operates the principal federal welfare program for the poor, called Aid to
Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
DEPARTMENT
OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
The Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) manages programs that assist community development and help
provide affordable housing for the nation. Fair housing laws, administered by
HUD, are designed to ensure that individuals and families can buy a dwelling
without being subjected to housing discrimination. HUD directs mortgage insurance
programs that help families become homeowners, and a rent-subsidy program for
low-income families who otherwise could not afford decent housing. In
addition, it operates programs that aid neighborhood rehabilitation, preserve
urban centers from blight and encourage the development of new communities.
HUD also protects the home buyer in the marketplace and fosters programs to
stimulate the housing industry.
DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR
As the nation's principal conservation
agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of the
federally owned public lands and natural resources in the United States. The
Fish and Wildlife Service, for example, administers 442 wildlife refuges, 150
waterfowl production areas, and a network of wildlife laboratories and fish
hatcheries. The National Park Service administers more than 340 national parks
and scenic monuments, riverways, seashores, recreation areas and historic
sites. Through the Bureau of Land Management, the department oversees the land
and resources—from timber and grazing to oil production and recreation—on
millions of hectares of public land located primarily in the West. The Bureau
of Reclamation manages scarce water resources in the semiarid western United
States. The department regulates mining in the United States, assesses mineral
resources, and has major responsibility for American Indians living on
reservations. Internationally, the department administers programs in U.S.
territories such as the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern
Mariana Islands and Palau, and provides funding for development to the Marshall
Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
The attorney
general, the chief law officer of the federal government, is in charge of the
Department of Justice. The department represents the U.S. government in legal
matters and courts of law, and renders legal advice and opinions, upon request,
to the president and to the heads of the executive departments. Its Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the principle law enforcement body, and its
Immigration and Naturalization Service administers immigration laws. A major
agency within the department is the Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA),
which administers narcotics and controlled substances laws, and tracks down
major illicit drug trafficking organizations. The Justice Department also gives
aid to local police forces. In addition, the department directs U.S. district
attorneys and marshals throughout the country, supervises federal prisons and
other penal institutions, and investigates and reports to the president on
petitions for paroles and pardons. The Justice Department is also linked to
INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization, charged with promoting
mutual assistance between law enforcement agencies in 146 countries.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
The
Department of Labor promotes the welfare of wage earners in the United States,
helps improve working conditions and fosters good relations between labor and
management. It administers more than 130 federal labor laws through such
agencies as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the
Employment Standards Administration and the Mine Safety and Health
Administration. Among its responsibilities are: guaranteeing workers' rights
to safe and healthy working conditions; establishing minimum hourly wages and
overtime pay; prohibiting employment discrimination; and providing for
unemployment insurance and compensation for on-the-job injury. It also protects
workers' pension rights, sponsors job training programs and helps workers find
jobs. Its Bureau of Labor Statistics monitors and reports changes in
employment, prices and other national economic measurements. For job seekers,
the department makes special efforts to help older workers, youths, minorities,
women and the handicapped.
DEPARTAMENT OF STATE
The
Department of State advises the president, who has overall responsibility for
formulating and executing the foreign policy of the United States. The
department assesses American overseas interests, makes recommendations on
policy and future action, and takes necessary steps to carry out established
policy. It maintains contacts and relations between the United States and
foreign countries, advises the president on recognition of new foreign
countries and governments, negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign
nations, and speaks for the United States in the United Nations and in more
than 50 other major international organizations. As-of 1988, the department
supervised 141 embassies and 113 missions or consulates in foreign nations.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
The Department of Transportation (DOT)
was created in 1966 by consolidating land, sea and air transportation functions
scattered thoughout eight separate departments and agencies. DOT establishes
the nation's overall transportation policy through nine operating units that
encompass highway planning, development and construction; urban mass transit;
railroads; civilian aviation; and the safety of waterways, ports, highways,
and oil and gas pipelines. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration
operates more than 350 air traffic control facilities across the country; the
Federal Highway Administration is responsible for the 68,000-kilometer interstate
highway system; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration establishes
safety and fuel economy standards for motor vehicles; and the Maritime
Administration operates the U.S. merchant marine fleet. The U.S. Coast Guard,
the nation's primary maritime law enforcement and licensing agency, conducts
search and rescue missions at sea, combats drug smuggling and works to prevent
oil spills and ocean pollution.
DEPARTMENT
OFTHE TREASURY
The
Department of the Treasury is responsible for serving the fiscal and monetary
needs of the nation. The department performs four basic functions: formulating
financial, tax and fiscal policies; serving as financial agent for the U.S.
government; providing specialized law enforcement services; and manufacturing
coins and currency. The Treasury Department reports to Congress and the
president on the financial condition of the government and the national
economy. It regulates the sale of alcohol, tobacco and firearms in interstate
and foreign commerce; supervises the printing of stamps for the U.S. Postal
Service; operates the Secret Service, which protects the president, the vice
president, their families, and visiting dignitaries and heads of state;
suppresses counterfeiting of U.S. currency and securities; and administers the
Customs Service, which regulates and taxes the flow of goods into the country.
The department includes the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the
Treasury official who executes the laws governing the operation of
approximately 4,600 banks; and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which
administers tax laws—the source of most of the federal government's revenue.
DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
The
Department of Veterans Affairs, established as an independent agency in 1930
and elevated to Cabinet level in 1988, dispenses benefits and services to
eligible veterans of U.S. military service and their dependents. The medicine
and surgery department provides hospital and nursing home care, and outpatient
medical and dental services through 172 medical centers, 16 retirement homes,
228 clinics and 116 nursing homes in the United States, Puerto Rico and the
Philippines. It also supports veterans under care in hospitals and nursing
homes in 35 states. The veterans benefits department oversees claims for
disability, pensions, specially adapted housing and other services. This
department also administers education programs for veterans, and provides
housing credit assistance to eligible veterans and active-duty service
personnel. The memorial affairs department administers the National Cemetery
System, providing burial services, headstones and markers to eligible veterans
and their spouses within specially designated cemeteries throughout the United
States.
THE INDEPENDENT
AGENCIES
The executive departments are the major
operating units of | the federal government, but there are many other agencies
which have important responsibilities for keeping the government and the
economy working smoothly. These are often called independent agencies, since
they are not part of the executive departments. The nature and purpose of
these agencies vary widely. Some are regulatory groups, with powers to
supervise certain sectors of the economy. Others provide special services,
either to the government or to the people. In most cases, the agencies have
been created by Congress to deal with matters that have become too complex for
the scope of ordinary legislation. The Interstate Commerce Commission, for
example, was established by Congress in 1887 to curb the growing power of the
railroads. In recent years, however, a trend toward deregulation of the economy
has altered the functions of many federal regulatory bodies. Among the most
important independent agencies are the following:
action is the principal federal agency for administering domestic
volunteer service programs to meet basic human needs, and to support the
self-help efforts of poor individuals and communities. Some of action's programs are Foster
Grandparents, offering older Americans opportunities for close relationships
with needy children; Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), which provides
volunteers to work in poor communities; and Student Community Service Projects,
which encourages students to volunteer in their communities as part of their
education.
central intelligence agency (cia) coordinates intelligence activities
of certain government departments and agencies; collects, correlates and
evaluates intelligence information relating to national security; and makes
recommendations to the National Security Council.
environmental
protection agency (epa), founded
in 1970, works with state and local governments throughout the United States to
control and abate pollution in the air and water, and to deal with the problems
of solid waste, pesticides, radiation and toxic substances. EPA sets and
enforces standards for air and water quality, evaluates the impact of
pesticides and chemical substances, and manages the so-called
"Superfund" program for cleaning toxic waste sites.
the
federal communications commission
licenses the operation of radio and television stations and regulates
interstate telephone and telegraph services. It sets rates for interstate communications
services, assigns radio frequencies, and administers international
communications treaties.
