Omar Bennett
The Cabinet of the United States is the principal official advisory body to the president. The Constitution does not specify the number of executive departments, but the Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, including 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 generally meets with the President in a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Role | To advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office |
| Members | The Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, including 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 |
| Meeting Place | A room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House |
| Meeting Chair | The President |
| Member Appointment | Department heads are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate |
| Member Status | Members are political appointees and administratively operate their departments |
| Member Authority | Members have full administrative control over their respective departments |
| Number of Positions | 15 |
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What You'll Learn
The Cabinet's role is to advise the President
The Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the President of the United States. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, including the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Agriculture. The President chairs Cabinet meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The vice president of the United States serves in the Cabinet by statute. The heads of departments are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The tradition of the Cabinet arose out of the debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention regarding whether the president would exercise executive authority solely or collaboratively with a cabinet of ministers or a privy council. As a result of the debates, the Constitution vests "the executive power" in the president, authorizing—but not compelling—the president to require the opinion of the principal officers in each of the executive departments on any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.
In recent administrations, Cabinets have grown to include key White House staff in addition to department and various agency heads. Certain positions have been granted Cabinet rank, including the White House Chief of Staff, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, and the Director of National Intelligence.
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The Vice President is part of the Cabinet
The Vice President of the United States is a member of the Cabinet. The US Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the president, and it includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments. The President chairs Cabinet meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The Constitution does not specify the number of executive departments, but this number has increased over time, with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Homeland Security added during the Reagan administration.
The Cabinet was established by the first president, George Washington, who organized his principal officers into a Cabinet, and it has been part of the executive branch structure ever since. The Vice President serves in the Cabinet by statute, and the heads of departments are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Acting department heads may also participate in Cabinet meetings, even if they have not been officially nominated for Senate confirmation.
The Cabinet includes the Vice President, the Attorney General, and 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 also includes other positions of Cabinet rank, such as the White House Chief of Staff, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The Vice President's inclusion in the Cabinet underscores the importance of their role as the second-highest-ranking official in the US government. As a member of the Cabinet, the Vice President has a direct role in advising the President and shaping the policies and decisions made by the executive branch. They bring their unique perspective and expertise to the discussions and deliberations within the Cabinet, contributing to the formulation of policies that impact the nation.
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The Cabinet has 15 executive departments
The Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the President of the United States. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. These 15 executive departments 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 Attorney General is also included in the Cabinet.
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 the meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The vice president, on the other hand, is a part of the Cabinet by statute. Acting department heads may also participate in Cabinet meetings, even if they have not been officially nominated for Senate confirmation.
The tradition of the Cabinet arose out of the debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention regarding the extent of the president's executive authority. While the Constitution vests "the executive power" in the President, it also authorises the President to seek written opinions from the principal officers of each executive department.
Over time, the Cabinet has grown to include key White House staff and agency heads. Certain positions, such as the EPA Administrator and the Director of National Intelligence, have been elevated to Cabinet rank by different administrations.
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The President chairs Cabinet meetings
The Constitution vests "the executive power" in the president, authorizing but not compelling the president to "require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the duties of their respective Offices". The Constitution does not specify what the executive departments will be, how many there will be, or what their duties will be. The Cabinet generally meets with the president in a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West House of the White House. The heads of departments are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Acting department heads may also participate in Cabinet meetings, even if they have not been officially nominated for Senate confirmation.
In addition to the heads of the 15 executive departments, the Cabinet includes key White House staff and various agency heads. For example, during his presidency, Ronald Reagan formed seven sub-cabinet councils to review policy issues, and subsequent presidents have followed this practice. The Cabinet also includes the White House Chief of Staff, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the United States Trade Representative, and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, among others.
The "A Team" of the president is made up of members of the executive office of the president and does not include Cabinet secretaries. The rate of turnover among senior-level advisers to President Trump has been a topic of interest, with resources dedicated to tracking turnover in the Cabinet during his administration.
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The Cabinet is made up of department heads
The Cabinet is an official advisory body to the US President, and its role is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, including 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 chairs Cabinet meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The vice president, on the other hand, is a member of the Cabinet by statute. The heads of departments, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, are members of the Cabinet, and acting department heads also participate in Cabinet meetings, whether or not they have been officially nominated for Senate confirmation.
The Cabinet's tradition dates back to the debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, where the discussion centred around whether the President would exercise executive authority solely or collaboratively with a cabinet of ministers or a privy council. The Constitution vests executive power in the President and authorises the President to seek written opinions from principal officers in each executive department. The first US President, George Washington, organised his principal officers into a Cabinet, and it has been part of the executive branch structure ever since.
In addition to the department heads, the Cabinet also includes key White House staff and agency heads. Certain positions, such as the EPA Administrator and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have been elevated to Cabinet rank by different presidents. The Cabinet also includes the White House Chief of Staff, the Office of Management and Budget Director, the United States Trade Representative, and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
The Cabinet is subject to turnover, with members departing or transitioning to other roles within the administration. Tracking Cabinet-level turnover can be challenging due to ad hoc appointments and the variable nature of positions.
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Frequently asked questions
The presidential cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments. The president chairs the meetings but is not formally a member of the cabinet.
The 15 executive 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.
Acting department heads also participate in cabinet meetings whether or not they have been officially nominated for Senate confirmation.
The cabinet's role is to advise the president on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.
Yes, the cabinet can include key White House staff and agency heads. Some examples of cabinet-rank positions include the White House Chief of Staff, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, and the Director of National Intelligence.
