The President

1
The Presidents Cabinet
Who Are They?????
How are they selected???
2
Constitutional Authority?????

• Not a formal organization mandated by law
• Developed over the years as an informal group of
  advisors from each of the executive departments
• Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 he may 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

3
Interesting Facts about Presidential Cabinets

• George Washingtons top two advisors, Jefferson
  and Hamilton, disagreed so bitterly that
  political parties formed around these two men.
• Andrew Jackson preferred a group of informal
  advisors known as the Kitchen Cabinet.

• Abraham Lincoln once took a vote in which the
  seven members unanimously opposed him. He said,
  Seven nays, one aye, the ayes have it.
• John F. Kennedy paid more attention to the advice
  of his brother, Robert, who served as Attorney
  General, than his formal cabinet.
• Ronald Reagan held cabinet meetings an average of
  twice a week to stay informed.

4
The First Executive DepartmentsGeorge
Washingtons Presidency

• Department of StateSecretary of State Thomas
  Jefferson
• Department of the TreasurySecretary of the
  Treasury Alexander Hamilton
• Department of WarSecretary of Defense Henry Knox
• Office of the Attorney GeneralEdmund
  Randolph-became the Department of Justice in 1870
  

Today there are fifteen departments.
5
Presidential Cabinet Today

• Secretary of State
• Secretary of the Treasury
• Attorney General
• Department of Defense
• Secretary of the Interior
• Secretary of Agriculture
• Secretary of Commerce
• Secretary of Labor

• Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• Secretary of Transportation
• Secretary of Energy
• Secretary of Education
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• Secretary of Homeland Security

6
Department of State

• Handles the foreign policy of the nation
• Staffs embassies
• Analyzes data about American interests in other
  nations
• Speaks for the U.S. at the United Nations

7
Secretary of State

• On January 21, 2009, Hillary Rodham Clinton was
  sworn in as the 67th Secretary of State of the
  United States.
• Secretary Clinton joined the State Department
  after nearly four decades in public service as an
  advocate, attorney, First Lady, and Senator.
• She has traveled to more than 80 countries as a
  representative of our country, winning respect as
  a champion of human rights, democracy and civil
  society.

8
Department of the Treasury

• Serves as the financial division of the
  government
• Manages public debt
• Collects taxes
• Manufactures coins and currency
• Administers explosive and firearm laws
• Regulates the production and distribution of
  alcohol and tobacco

9
Secretary of the Treasury

• On January 26, 2009, Timothy F. Geithner was
  sworn in as the 75 thSecretary of the United
  States Department of the Treasury
• Served as the ninth president and chief executive
  officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
•  First joined the Department of Treasury in 1988
  and worked in three administrations for five
  Secretaries of the Treasury in a variety of
  positions.

10
Department of Justice

• Oversees the nations legal affairs
• Supervises the agencies that serve as the
  nations police and prison system
• Enforces antitrust laws

11
Attorney General 

• Eric H. Holder, Jr. was sworn in as the 82nd
  Attorney General of the United States on February
  3, 2009
•  
• In 1997, Mr. Holder was named by President
  Clinton to be the Deputy Attorney General, the
  first African-American named to that post. Prior
  to that he served as U.S. Attorney for the
  District of Columbia.

12
Department of Defense

• Protects the security of the United States
• Oversees the armed forces through the Joint
  Chiefs of Staff
• Until 1949 was called the Department of War

13
Secretary of Defense 

• Leon Edward Panetta was sworn in as the
  23rd Secretary of Defense on July 1, 2011
•  Served as the Director of the Central
  Intelligence Agency from February 2009 to June
  2011.

14
Department of Interior

• Protects the public lands and natural resources
  throughout the U.S.
• Oversees relationships with Native Americans

15
Secretary of the Interior

• Ken Salazar, was confirmed as the 50th secretary
  of the U.S. Department of the Interior on Jan.
  20, 2009, in a unanimous vote by the U.S.
  Senate. 
• Prior to his confirmation, Salazar served as
  Colorado's 35th U.S. senator, winning election in
  November 2004 and serving on the Finance
  Committee, which oversees the nation's tax,
  trade, social-security, and health-care systems.
• He also served on the Agriculture, Energy and
  Natural Resources, Ethics, Veterans Affairs and
  Aging Committees.

16
Department of Agriculture

• Helps farmers improve incomes and production for
  home and abroad
• Develops conservation programs
• Safeguards the nations food supply

17
Secretary of Agriculture

• Tom Vilsack serves as the Nation's 30th Secretary
  of the Agriculture.

18
Department of Commerce

• Promotes and protects the industrial and
  commercial parts of the economy
• Carries out the census

19
Secretary of Commerce

• Rebecca M. Blank is currently the Acting
  Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Secretary of
  Commerce. She assumed the role of Acting
  Secretary in June, 2012 when Secretary John
  Bryson resigned following a medical leave of
  absence.
• Dr. Blank was confirmed as the Deputy Secretary
  of Commerce in March 2012, after serving as the
  Acting Deputy Secretary for most of the previous
  year.

20
Department of Labor

• Ensures safe working conditions
• Oversees minimum wages and protects pensions
• Collects and analyzes data on employment

21
Secretary of Labor

• Secretary Hilda L. Solis was confirmed as
  Secretary of Labor on February 24, 2009.
• Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District
  in California, a position she held from 2001
  2009.
• In the Congress, Solis priorities included
  expanding access to affordable health care,
  protecting the environment, and improving the
  lives of working families. 

22
Department of Health and Human Services

• Oversees programs concerned with health and
  social services of the American people
• Manages federal medicare and medicaid

23
Secretary of Health and Human Services

• Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in as the
  21st Secretary of the Department of Health and
  Human Services (HHS) on April 28, 2009.
• Secretary Sebelius has led ambitious efforts to
  improve Americas health and enhance the delivery
  of human services to some of the nations most
  vulnerable populations, including young children,
  those with disabilities, and the elderly.
• As part of the historic Affordable Care Act,
  Secretary Sebelius is implementing reforms that
  end many of the insurance industrys worst
  abuses, and will help 34 million uninsured
  Americans get health coverage.

24
Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Works to assist communities in the nation
• Ensures equal housing opportunities

25
Secretary for Housing and Urban Development

• On January 26, 2009, Shaun Donovan was sworn in
  as the 15th United States Secretary for Housing
  and Urban Development.
• He has devoted his career to ensuring access to
  safe, decent, and affordable housing, and has
  continued that effort in the Obama
  Administration.

26
Department of Transportation

• Regulates Americas transportation needs,
  policies and planning.
• Works to ensure safe, efficient, and convenient
  land and air transportation

27
Secretary of Transportation

• Secretary Ray LaHood became the 16th Secretary of
  Transportation on January 23, 2009
• Served for 14 years in the U.S. House of
  Representatives from the 18th District of
  Illinois (from 1995-2009)
• Secretary LaHood started career as a junior high
  school teacher

28
Department of Energy

• Plans energy policy
• Researches and develops energy technology

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SECRETARY OF ENERGY

• As United States Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven
  Chu is charged with helping implement President
  Obama's ambitious agenda to invest in clean
  energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil,
  address the global climate crisis, and create
  millions of new jobs.
• Dr. Chu is the co-recipient of the Nobel Prize
  for Physics (1997) and received numerous other
  awards. He has devoted his recent scientific
  career to the search for new solutions to our
  energy and climate challenges - a mission he
  continues with even greater urgency as Secretary
  of Energy.

30
Department of Education

• Co-ordinates federal assistance programs for
  public and private schools
• Develops programs to help students with limited
  English proficiency and physically challenged
  students

31
Secretary of Education

• Arne Duncan is the ninth U.S. secretary of
  education.
• The Department has focused billions of dollars to
  transform struggling schools, prompting nearly
  1,000 low-performing schools nationwide to
  recruit new staff, adopt new teaching methods,
  and add learning time.

32
Department of Veterans Affairs

• Oversees medical care for veterans and families
• Manages educational programs for veterans

33
Secretary of Veterans Affairs

• Retired U.S. Army General Eric K. Shinseki was
  nominated by President Barack Obama on December
  7, 2008
• Served as Chief of Staff, United States Army,
  from 1999 to June 11, 2003, and retired from
  active duty on August 1, 2003.
• During his tenure, he initiated the Army
  Transformation Campaign to address both the
  emerging strategic challenges of the early 21st
  century and the need for cultural and
  technological change in the United States Army.

34
Department of Homeland Security

• Charged with protecting the security of Americas
  borders, shores, land and the safety of its
  people
• Newest department created after September 11,
  2001

35
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

• Janet Napolitano was sworn in on January 21, 2009
  as the third Secretary of the Department of
  Homeland Security.
• Former Governor of Arizona

36
Other Cabinet Rank Members

• The Vice President
• Head of the Office of Management and Budget
• Head of the Environmental Protection Agency
• White House chief of Staff
• United States Trade Representative
• Head of the Office of Nation Drug Control Policy

37
Steps in the Process of Appointing Members of the
Cabinet

• Presidential nomination
• White House review
• Paperwork financial disclosure
• FBI investigation
• Senate confirmation hearings
• Senate vote (majority needed)