Eleanor Finch
The Cabinet of the United States is an advisory body that includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments. The members of the Cabinet are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They serve at the pleasure of the President, who can dismiss them from office at any time without the approval of the Senate. The Constitution does not specify the number of executive departments, but the first president, George Washington, organized his principal officers into a Cabinet, which has been part of the executive branch structure ever since.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of executive departments | 15 |
| Who appoints the heads of the 15 departments | The President |
| Who confirms the appointment of the heads of the 15 departments | The Senate |
| Who is a permanent member of the Cabinet | The Vice President |
| Who else is a member of the Cabinet | The heads of the 15 executive departments |
| Who else can be a member of the Cabinet | The President may designate additional positions |
| Who is not a member of the Cabinet | The speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate |
| Who is subject to impeachment by the House of Representatives | All federal public officials, including Cabinet members |
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What You'll Learn
The US vice president serves in the Cabinet by statute
The US vice president is the second-highest-ranking office in the executive branch of the US federal government, after the president, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is also an officer in the legislative branch, as the president of the Senate. The vice president is elected, not appointed, and serves in the Cabinet by statute. The vice president must serve a minimum of two years to qualify for a pension.
The vice president's role has evolved over time. Initially, it was regarded as a minor position, with little power or influence. Today, the vice president serves as a principal advisor to the president and plays a significant role in the administration's policy-making and implementation. The vice president's specific duties and influence can vary depending on their relationship with the president.
The Cabinet, including the vice president, is responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws. The members of the Cabinet are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They serve at the pleasure of the president, who can dismiss them at any time without Senate approval. The president also has the authority to organize the Cabinet, such as by instituting committees.
The 15 executive departments that make up the Cabinet include:
- Department of State
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of War
- Department of Justice
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Education
- Department of Industry and Commerce
- Department of Economic Development
- Department of Technology
- Department of Culture
- Department of Government Efficiency
The heads of these departments are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They are responsible for leading and managing their respective departments, implementing policies, and enforcing federal laws. The duration of their service can vary, as they serve at the pleasure of the president and can be dismissed at any time. However, they must resign from Congress before assuming their positions as heads of executive departments due to the Ineligibility Clause's prohibition on executive branch employees serving in Congress simultaneously.
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Cabinet members are political appointees
The Cabinet is an advisory body to the President of the United States. It is made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments, including the Vice President, who is a permanent member. The Cabinet includes the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General. The President may also choose to include other officials in the Cabinet, such as the White House Chief of Staff, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Constitution does not specify the number of executive departments, their duties, or their structure. The first President of the United States, George Washington, organized his principal officers into a Cabinet, and it has been part of the executive branch ever since. Washington's Cabinet consisted of five members: himself, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.
The role of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office. While the Cabinet does not have any collective executive powers or functions, it is an important body that assists the President in carrying out the duties of the executive branch. The Vice President, while a member of the Cabinet, is not a political appointee but is elected and serves in the Cabinet by statute.
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Cabinet members can be dismissed by the president at any time
The Cabinet is an advisory body that includes the Vice President of the United States and the heads of the 15 executive departments. These include the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.
The Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The President chairs these meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The President has the power to dismiss Cabinet members at any time without the approval of the Senate. Cabinet members are also subject to impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial in the Senate for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors".
The President appoints the Cabinet members, who serve at the pleasure of the President. The President can also downgrade their Cabinet membership status. Cabinet members are expected to resign when a new President takes office, as incoming Presidents usually replace them. Cabinet members are political appointees and have full administrative control over their respective departments.
The Constitution does not specify the number of executive departments, what they will be, or their duties. The first President of the United States, George Washington, organized his principal officers into a Cabinet, and it has been part of the executive branch structure ever since.
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The president can appoint additional Cabinet members
The President of the United States has the power to appoint members to the Cabinet, who are often the President's closest confidants. The Cabinet is an advisory body made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments. The President can dismiss them from office at any time without the approval of the Senate. The President also has the authority to organise the Cabinet, such as by instituting committees.
The Appointments Clause allows the President to make nominations for appointed positions like Cabinet officers. The President can also appoint officers directly using their recess appointments powers when the Senate is not officially in session. However, modern parliamentary techniques used in the Senate rarely allow an opportunity for such appointments. The Senate controls the nomination process, including the rules that allow a nomination vote to get to the full Senate floor. The Senate website has a detailed history of the various nomination processes since 1789.
The Constitution, in Article II, Section 2, states that the President:
> "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for."
The Twenty-fifth Amendment authorises the Vice President, together with a majority of the heads of the executive departments, to declare the President "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office". The Vice President is the highest-ranking Cabinet member and is fourth in line of succession to the President.
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The Cabinet's role is to advise the president
The Cabinet is an advisory body to the President of the United States, comprising the heads of the 15 executive departments. The President appoints these members, who are often their closest confidants, and they are confirmed by the Senate. The Cabinet's principal role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The President can also choose to organise the Cabinet into committees.
The members of the Cabinet serve at the pleasure of the President and can be dismissed from office at any time without the approval of the Senate. The President also has the authority to downgrade their Cabinet membership status. The Cabinet does not have any collective executive powers or functions of its own, and no votes need to be taken.
The Vice President of the United States is also a member of the Cabinet by statute. However, they do not have any authority over the President's Cabinet, and all Cabinet officials report directly to the President. The Vice President's inclusion in the Cabinet is a relatively recent development, becoming common only in the 20th century.
The members of the Cabinet are subject to impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial in the Senate for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors".
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Frequently asked questions
The members of the 15 executive departments, who are appointed by the President, serve at the pleasure of the President. This means that the President can dismiss them from office at any time without the approval of the Senate.
The 15 department heads are the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.
The Cabinet includes the Vice President, 10 Cabinet-level officials, and any additional positions designated by the President.
