Isabella Carter
The United States Cabinet, established in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, is a group of people selected by the President to help run the government and advise on important matters. 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 can also designate additional positions to be members of the Cabinet, which can vary under each administration.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Role | To advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office |
| Members | Vice President, heads of 15 executive departments, and other positions designated by the President |
| Executive Departments | Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs |
| Other Positions | White House Chief of Staff, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator |
| Formation | Established in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution |
| Salary | Level I annual pay is $250,600; Vice President's salary is $235,300 |
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What You'll Learn
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is a critical member of the presidential cabinet, responsible for advising the President on foreign affairs and implementing the President's foreign policies. Appointed by the President with the Senate's consent, the Secretary of State is the principal adviser on international matters, ensuring the President receives sound guidance on global issues.
As the President's chief foreign affairs adviser, the Secretary of State plays a pivotal role in shaping US foreign policy. They are tasked with carrying out the President's foreign policy agenda through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service, and the US Agency for International Development. This involves negotiating and interpreting treaties, fostering diplomatic relations, and ensuring the protection of American citizens, property, and interests abroad.
One of the key duties of the Secretary of State is to advise the President on matters pertaining to the acceptance, recall, and dismissal of foreign government representatives. They also personally participate in or direct US representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies, ensuring that US interests are effectively represented on the global stage.
Additionally, the Secretary of State serves as the custodian of the Great Seal of the United States and is responsible for preparing certain presidential proclamations. They also oversee the publication of treaties and international acts, maintaining the official record of US foreign relations. This role includes the custody of original treaties and international agreements, underscoring the importance of the position in safeguarding critical documents.
The Secretary of State also plays a crucial role in facilitating communication between the federal government and the states on the extradition of fugitives to or from foreign countries. They are responsible for supervising the administration of US immigration laws abroad and providing information to American citizens about foreign countries' political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian conditions.
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Secretary of the Treasury
The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury and is the federal government's chief financial officer. The Secretary of the Treasury is the President's principal advisor on all matters relating to economic and fiscal policy. They are responsible for formulating and recommending financial, economic, and tax policies, as well as managing the public debt. The Secretary of the Treasury is also responsible for overseeing the department's law enforcement activities, serving as the government's financial agent, and manufacturing coins and currency.
As the chief financial officer, the Secretary of the Treasury also holds several other positions. They serve as the chairman pro tempore of the President's Economic Policy Council and the chairman of the boards and managing trustee of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. Additionally, the Secretary represents the United States as the Governor of the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The Secretary of the Treasury is, by custom, a member of the President's Cabinet and, by law, a member of the National Security Council. They are fifth in the presidential line of succession, following the Secretary of State and preceding the Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of the Treasury is one of the four most important Cabinet officials, along with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General.
The President of the United States nominates the Secretary of the Treasury, and the nominee must go through a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance. The nominee will take office if confirmed by a majority vote in the full United States Senate.
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Secretary of Defense
The United States Secretary of Defense (also known as SecDef) is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet. The Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate and is the head of the Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD is an executive department of the US Armed Forces. The Secretary of Defense is the "principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the DoD" and has authority, direction and control over the department. The position is second only to the President, who is the commander-in-chief, in the military hierarchy.
The Secretary of Defense is responsible for overseeing the Department of Defense and acting as the principal defence policymaker and adviser. The statutory authority of the Secretary of Defense is derived from the President's constitutional authorities, as the Constitution vests all military authority in the President and Congress. The Secretary of Defense has legal powers that exceed those of any commissioned officer and is responsible for ensuring civilian control of the military. To maintain civilian control, US law states that the Secretary of Defense cannot have served as an active-duty commissioned officer in the military in the seven years preceding their appointment. This restriction is extended to ten years for generals and admirals.
The Secretary of Defense is the only person (other than the President or Congress) who can authorise the transfer of operational control of forces between the three military departments (the Department of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force) and the eleven Unified Combatant Commands. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the Secretary of Defense and the President, although they are not in the chain of command. The Secretary of Defense's position in the chain of command is above the secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.
The current Secretary of Defense is Pete Hegseth, who was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate in January 2025.
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Attorney General
The Attorney General is a member of the presidential cabinet and is the head of the United States Department of Justice. They are the federal government's chief law enforcement officer and the principal legal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The Attorney General is seventh in the presidential line of succession and is nominated by the president, taking office if confirmed by the majority of the full United States Senate.
The Attorney General's duties include overseeing the Department of Justice, enforcing federal laws, and providing legal advice and opinions to the president, cabinet, and the heads of executive departments and agencies. They represent the federal government in legal matters and supervise the administration and operation of the Department of Justice, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Attorneys, and the United States Marshals Service.
The Attorney General also advises the president on appointments to federal judicial positions and Department of Justice roles. They are supported by the Office of the Attorney General, which includes executive staff and several deputy attorneys general. It is customary for the Attorney General to tender their resignation on the Inauguration Day of a new president, and the deputy attorney general is commonly requested to stay on and act as the attorney general until the confirmation of the new attorney general.
For example, when President Donald Trump took office in 2017, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch left her position, and then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates served as the acting attorney general until the confirmation of Jeff Sessions, who had been nominated for the role by President-elect Trump in November 2016.
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Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is a member of the Cabinet of the United States and is currently thirteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on September 9, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, who signed The Department of Housing and Urban Development Act into law. The role of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The department's mission is "to increase homeownership, support community development, and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination." The Secretary has the power to appoint officers and employees as necessary to carry out the functions of the department. They may also delegate their functions, powers, and duties to other officers, agents, or employees.
The Secretary is also responsible for making expenditures necessary to carry out their functions, powers, and duties. This includes expenses for preparation, mounting, shipping, and installation of exhibits, as well as the purchase and exchange of technical apparatus. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, with a salary of US$246,400 as of January 2024.
As of February 5, 2025, the current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is Scott Turner.
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Frequently asked questions
The presidential cabinet advises the president on any subject relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.
The presidential cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments. The speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate follow the vice president and precede the secretary of state in the order of succession, but they are not part of the cabinet.
The 15 executive departments are:
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of the Interior
- Department of Labor
- Department of State
- Department of Transportation
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Justice
