Omar Bennett
The President's Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the President of the United States. It is made up of 15 leaders of executive departments, including the Vice President, and other high-ranking government officials. The Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The President may designate additional positions to be members of the Cabinet, which can vary under each President.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Role | To advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office |
| Members | The vice president, heads of 15 executive departments, and other high-ranking government officials |
| Appointed by | The President |
| Confirmed by | The Senate |
| Meetings | The President chairs the meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet |
| Location | In a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House |
| Members sit according to | The order in which their respective departments were created, with the earliest being closest to the President and the newest farthest away |
| Department heads | Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate |
| Acting department heads | Participate in Cabinet meetings whether or not they have been officially nominated for Senate confirmation |
| Members | Political appointees |
| Members | Administratively operate their departments |
| Members | Appointed officers heading federal agencies |
| Members | Executives with full administrative control over their respective departments |
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What You'll Learn
Department of Defense
The Department of Defense (DoD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government. It is the third-largest Cabinet department and the nation's largest employer. The DoD is composed of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Joint Staff (JS), the Office of the Inspector General (DODIG), the Combatant Commands, the Military Departments, the Defense Agencies, and DoD Field Activities. The Military Departments include the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force. The Department of Defense also includes four national intelligence services: the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
The DoD's mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure the security of the U.S., its possessions, and its interests. This mission is accomplished through the maintenance and use of armed forces, including the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard for some purposes. The DoD is also responsible for organizing, training, and equipping these forces, which include over 1.3 million active-duty service members and 750,000 civilian personnel. The department also has over 811,000 National Guard and Reserve service members, bringing the total number of employees to over 2.91 million.
The DoD is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Secretary of Defense is a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the President and is the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the DoD. The Secretary of Defense has authority, direction, and control over the department and is second only to the President in the military hierarchy. The position corresponds to what is generally known as a defense minister in other countries.
The Department of Defense was established in 1949, when the National Military Establishment was renamed and absorbed the three cabinet-level military departments. The National Military Establishment had been created in 1947, when the Department of War was renamed the Department of the Army and added to a newly established National Military Establishment, along with the Department of the Navy.
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Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a US Cabinet agency that was established in 2002. It is the third-largest Cabinet department, with over 240,000 employees, and is responsible for a wide range of duties, including aviation and border security, emergency response, cybersecurity, and chemical facility inspection.
The creation of the DHS was a response to the September 11 attacks, with the aim of consolidating US executive branch organizations related to "homeland security" into a single Cabinet agency. The department was formed through the combination of 22 different federal departments and agencies, including the Coast Guard, the Federal Protective Service, US Customs and Border Protection, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The DHS is led by the Secretary of Homeland Security, who oversees the execution of the department's duties and is responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, and more. The current secretary is Kristi Noem, who was sworn in on January 25, 2025.
The DHS has a vital mission to secure and protect the nation from various threats, and its work includes customs, border and immigration enforcement, emergency response to natural and man-made disasters, antiterrorism efforts, and cybersecurity. The department has a significant budget, with a net discretionary budget of $47.716 billion allocated in fiscal year 2018.
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Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government. It was established by President Abraham Lincoln on May 15, 1862, through the Morrill Act. Lincoln called it the "people's department", as over half of the nation at the time was directly or indirectly involved in agriculture or agribusiness.
The USDA is headed by the secretary of agriculture, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. The current secretary is Brooke Rollins, who has served since February 13, 2025. The USDA has eight mission areas: Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC), Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Food Safety, Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP), Natural Resources and Environment, Research, Education, and Economics, Rural Development, and Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA).
Through these mission areas, the USDA aims to develop and execute programs to distribute food and nutrition information across the United States. Approximately 71% of the USDA's $213 billion budget goes towards nutrition assistance programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The largest component of the FNS budget is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the 'Food Stamp' program), which is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance.
The USDA also works to promote agricultural trade and production, assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities, and work to end hunger in the United States and internationally.
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Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce is a presidential cabinet agency, headed by the Secretary of Commerce, who is a member of the president's cabinet and tenth in the line of succession to the US presidency. The department's mission is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities across the United States. It works with businesses, universities, communities, and workers to promote job creation, sustainable development, and improved standards of living for Americans. The Department of Commerce serves as the voice of business in the federal government.
The Department of Commerce has a long history, with its role and structure evolving over time. In 1920, President Warren G. Harding offered the position of Secretary of Commerce to Herbert Hoover, who accepted, emphasizing his identity as a businessman. Hoover envisioned the department as a key driver of the nation's growth and stability, promoting efficiency, increasing production, and encouraging the adoption of data-based practices.
The Department of Commerce has 13 bureaus, including the United States Census Bureau, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Economic Development Administration. It is one of four federal agencies authorized to appoint personnel in the United States Foreign Service, and its NOAA Corps is one of the eight branches of the uniformed services of the United States. During a large-scale disaster, the department coordinates the economic recovery support function under the national disaster recovery framework.
In recent years, there have been proposals to reorganize or eliminate the Department of Commerce. In 2012, President Barack Obama announced his intention to replace it with a new cabinet-level agency focused on trade and exports. The new agency would have included the Office of the United States Trade Representative and several independent agencies, with the goal of streamlining operations and saving costs.
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Department of the Treasury
The United States Department of the Treasury is the steward of the US economic and financial systems, and as such, it wields significant influence in the world economy. The department's mission is to maintain a robust economy, create economic and job opportunities, and promote conditions that enable economic growth and stability. This involves strengthening national security by addressing threats and safeguarding the integrity of the financial system.
The Department of the Treasury is responsible for managing the US government's finances and resources effectively. It executes currency circulation within the domestic fiscal system, collects federal taxes through the Internal Revenue Service, and manages government debt instruments. The department also licenses and supervises banks and thrift institutions, playing a critical role in the nation's financial infrastructure.
The Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the department and the chief financial officer of the federal government. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the President on economic and fiscal policy matters and is a member of the National Security Council. The secretary oversees the department's activities, including its law enforcement responsibilities, serving as the financial agent for the government, and manufacturing coins and currency.
The Department of the Treasury is organized into two main components: the departmental offices and the operating bureaus. The departmental offices formulate policies and manage the department, while the operating bureaus carry out specific operations. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), for instance, enforces laws related to alcohol and tobacco production, distribution, and use. It also collects excise taxes for firearms and ammunition.
The Treasury Department has a significant role in enhancing national security. It implements economic sanctions against foreign threats to the US and identifies and targets these threats financially. The department also works with other federal agencies, foreign governments, and international financial institutions to encourage global economic growth and improve living standards worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
The Secretary of State is one of the 15 executive department heads that are part of the presidential cabinet.
The Secretary of Defense is one of the 15 executive department heads that are part of the presidential cabinet.
The Attorney General is one of the 15 executive department heads that are part of the presidential cabinet.
The White House Chief of Staff has the status of Cabinet-rank.
The Environmental Protection Agency Administrator has the status of Cabinet-rank.
