United States federal executive departments

The United States federal executive departments are the principal units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States. They are analogous to ministries common in parliamentary or semi-presidential systems but (the United States being a presidential system) they are led by a head of government who is also the head of state. The executive departments are the administrative arms of the President of the United States. There are currently 15 executive departments.

The heads of the executive departments receive the title of Secretary of their respective department, except for the Attorney General who is head of the Justice Department (and the Postmaster General who until 1971 was head of the Post Office Department). The heads of the executive departments are appointed by the President and take office after confirmation by the United States Senate, and serve at the pleasure of the President. The heads of departments are members of the Cabinet of the United States, an executive organ that normally acts as an advisory body to the President. In the Opinion Clause (Article II, section 2, clause 1) of the U.S. Constitution, heads of executive departments are referred to as "principal Officer in each of the executive Departments".

The heads of executive departments are included in the line of succession to the President, in the event of a vacancy in the presidency, after the Vice President, the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate.

Current departments[]

Seal	Department	Formed	Employees	Annual budget	Head
Seal	Department	Formed	Employees	Annual budget	Portrait	Name and title
	State	July 27, 1789	69,000 13,000 Foreign Service 11,000 Civil Service 45,000 local	$52.505 billion (2020)		Antony Blinken Secretary of State
	Treasury	September 2, 1789	86,049 (2014)	$16.55 billion (2021)		Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury
	Defense	September 18, 1947	2.86 million	$716 billion (2021)		Lloyd Austin Secretary of Defense
	Justice	July 1, 1870	113,543 (2012)	$33.2 billion (2021)		Merrick Garland Attorney General
	Interior	March 3, 1849	70,003 (2012)	$21.55 billion (2021)		Deb Haaland Secretary of the Interior
	Agriculture	May 15, 1862	105,778 (June 2007)	$151 billion (2021)		Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture
	Commerce	February 14, 1903	43,880 (2011)	$7.89 billion (2021)		Gina Raimondo Secretary of Commerce
	Labor	March 4, 1913	17,450 (2014)	$41.7 billion (2021)		Marty Walsh Secretary of Labor
	Health and Human Services	April 11, 1953	79,540 (2015)	$1.394 trillion (2021)		Xavier Becerra Secretary of Health and Human Services
	Housing and Urban Development	September 9, 1965	8,416 (2014)	$47.9 billion (2021)		Marcia Fudge Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
	Transportation	April 1, 1967	58,622	$89 billion (2021)		Pete Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation
	Energy	August 4, 1977	12,944 (2014)	$35.36 billion (2021)		Jennifer Granholm Secretary of Energy
	Education	October 17, 1979	3,912 (2018)	$72.3 billion (2021)		Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education
	Veterans Affairs	March 15, 1989	377,805 (2016)	$243.3 billion (2021)		Denis McDonough Secretary of Veterans Affairs
	Homeland Security	November 25, 2002	229,000 (2017)	$75.88 billion (2021)		Alejandro Mayorkas Secretary of Homeland Security

Former departments[]

Seal	Department	Formed	Removed from Cabinet	Superseded by	Last Cabinet-level head appointed
Seal	Department	Formed	Removed from Cabinet	Superseded by	Portrait	Name and title
	War	August 7, 1789	September 18, 1947	Department of the Army Department of the Air Force		Kenneth C. Royall Secretary of War
	Post Office	February 20, 1792	July 1, 1971	Postal Service		Winton M. Blount Postmaster General
	Navy	April 30, 1798	August 10, 1949	Department of Defense (as executive department) became and still are military departments within the Department of Defense		Francis P. Matthews Secretary of the Navy
	Army	September 18, 1947				Gordon Gray Secretary of the Army
	Air Force	September 18, 1947				W. Stuart Symington Secretary of the Air Force

Proposed departments[]

Department of Industry and Commerce, proposed by Secretary of the Treasury William Windom in a speech given at a Chamber of Commerce dinner in May 1881.^[1]
Department of Natural Resources, proposed by the Eisenhower administration,^[2] President Richard Nixon,^[3] the 1976 GOP national platform,^[4] and by Bill Daley (as a consolidation of the Departments of the Interior and Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency).^[5]
Department of Peace, proposed by Senator Matthew Neely in the 1930s, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, and other members of the U.S. Congress.^[6]^[7]
Department of Social Welfare, proposed by President Franklin Roosevelt in January 1937.^[8]
Department of Public Works, proposed by President Franklin Roosevelt in January 1937.^[8]
Department of Conservation (renamed Department of the Interior), proposed by President Franklin Roosevelt in January 1937.^[8]
Department of Urban Affairs and Housing, proposed by President John F. Kennedy.^[9]
Department of Business and Labor, proposed by President Lyndon Johnson.^[10]
Department of Community Development, proposed by President Richard Nixon; to be chiefly concerned with rural infrastructure development.^[3]^[11]
Department of Human Resources, proposed by President Richard Nixon; essentially a revised Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.^[3]
Department of Economic Affairs, proposed by President Richard Nixon; essentially a consolidation of the Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Agriculture.^[12]
Department of Environmental Protection, proposed by Senator Arlen Specter and others.^[13]
Department of Intelligence, proposed by former Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell.^[14]
Department of Global Development, proposed by the Center for Global Development.^[15]
Department of Art, proposed by Quincy Jones.^[16]
Department of Business, proposed by President Barack Obama as a consolidation of the U.S. Department of Commerce's core business and trade functions, the Small Business Administration, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.^[17]^[18]
Department of Education and the Workforce, proposed by President Donald Trump as a consolidation of the Departments of Education and Labor.^[19]
Department of Health and Public Welfare, proposed by President Donald Trump as a renamed Department of Health and Human Services.^[20]
Department of Economic Development, proposed by Senator Elizabeth Warren to replace the Commerce Department, subsume other agencies like the Small Business Administration and the Patent and Trademark Office, and include research and development programs, worker training programs, and export and trade authorities like the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative with the single goal of creating and defending good American jobs.^[21]
Department of Technology, proposed by businessman and 2020 Democratic presidential Candidate Andrew Yang.^[22]
Department of Children and Youth, proposed by Marianne Williamson.^[23]
Department of Culture, patterned on similar departments in many foreign nations, proposed by, among others, Murray Moss^[24] and Jeva Lange.^[25]

References[]

Citations[]

^ "A Department of Commerce". The New York Times. 1881-05-13.
^ Improving Management and Organization in Federal Natural Resources and Environmental Functions: Hearing Before the Committee on Governmental Affairs, U. S. Senate. Diane Publishing. April 1, 1998. ISBN 9780788148743. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2017 – via Google Books. Chairman Stevens. Thank you very much. I think both of you are really pointing in the same direction as this Committee. I do hope we can keep it on a bipartisan basis. Mr. Dean, when I was at the Interior Department, I drafted Eisenhower's Department of Natural Resources proposal, and we have had a series of them that have been presented.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "116 - Special Message to the Congress on Executive Branch Reorganization". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. The administration is today transmitting to the Congress four bills which, if enacted, would replace seven of the present executive departments and several other agencies with four new departments: the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Community Development, the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Economic Affairs.
^ "Republican Party Platform of 1976". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. August 18, 1976. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
^ Thrush, Glenn (November 8, 2013). "Locked in the Cabinet". Politico. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
^ Schuman, Frederick L. (1969). Why a Department of Peace. Beverly Hills: Another Mother for Peace. p. 56. OCLC 339785.
^ "History of Legislation to Create a Dept. of Peace". Archived from the original on 2006-07-20.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "10 - Summary of the Report of the Committee on Administrative Management". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. Overhaul the more than 100 separate departments, boards, commissions, administrations, authorities, corporations, committees, agencies and activities which are now parts of the Executive Branch, and theoretically under the President, and consolidate them within twelve regular departments, which would include the existing ten departments and two new departments, a Department of Social Welfare, and a Department of Public Works. Change the name of the Department of Interior to Department of Conservation.
^ "23 - Special Message to the Congress Transmitting Reorganization Plan 1 of 1962". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
^ "121 - Special Message to the Congress: The Quality of American Government". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. In my State of the Union Address, and later in my Budget and Economic Messages to the Congress, I proposed the creation of a new Department of Business and Labor.
^ "33 - Special Message to the Congress on Rural Development". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
^ "116 - Special Message to the Congress on Executive Branch Reorganization". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. The new Department of Economic Affairs would include many of the offices that are now within the Departments of Commerce, Labor and Agriculture. A large part of the Department of Transportation would also be relocated here, including the United States Coast Guard, the Federal Railroad Administration, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Systems Center, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Motor Carrier Safety Bureau and most of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Small Business Administration, the Science Information Exchange program from the Smithsonian Institution, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Office of Technology Utilization from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration would also be included in the new Department.
^ "Public Notes on 02-RMSP3". Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
^ "A Conversation with Michael McConnell". Council on Foreign Relations (Federal News Service, rush transcript). June 29, 2007. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
^ "Time for a Cabinet-Level U.S. Department of Global Development". The Center for Global Development. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
^ Clarke, Jr., John (January 16, 2009). "Quincy Jones Lobbies Obama for Secretary of Culture Post". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2010.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "President Obama Announces proposal to reform, reorganize and consolidate Government". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via National Archives.
^ "Obama Suggests 'Secretary of Business' in a 2nd Term - Washington Wire - WSJ". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
^ "White House Proposes Merging Education And Labor Departments". NPR.org. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
^ "Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century | Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations" (PDF). whitehouse.gov. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 12, 2019.
^ Warren, Team (2019-06-04). "A Plan For Economic Patriotism". Medium. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
^ "Regulate AI and other Emerging Technologies". Andrew Yang for President. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
^ "U.S. Department of Children and Youth "The Whole Child Plan"". Marianne Williamson for President. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
^ Garber, Megan (2013-07-01). "Should the U.S. Have a Secretary of Culture?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
^ "Hey Joe — appoint a culture secretary". theweek.com. 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2021-01-22.

Sources[]

Relyea, Harold C. "Homeland Security: Department Organization and Management" (PDF), Report for Congress, 2002. RL31493 (August 7, 2002).

External links[]

Media related to Executive Departments of the United States at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "A Department of Commerce". The New York Times. 1881-05-13.

[2] Improving Management and Organization in Federal Natural Resources and Environmental Functions: Hearing Before the Committee on Governmental Affairs, U. S. Senate. Diane Publishing. April 1, 1998. ISBN 9780788148743. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2017 – via Google Books. Chairman Stevens. Thank you very much. I think both of you are really pointing in the same direction as this Committee. I do hope we can keep it on a bipartisan basis. Mr. Dean, when I was at the Interior Department, I drafted Eisenhower's Department of Natural Resources proposal, and we have had a series of them that have been presented.

[Nixon-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "116 - Special Message to the Congress on Executive Branch Reorganization". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. The administration is today transmitting to the Congress four bills which, if enacted, would replace seven of the present executive departments and several other agencies with four new departments: the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Community Development, the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Economic Affairs.

[4] "Republican Party Platform of 1976". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. August 18, 1976. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.

[5] Thrush, Glenn (November 8, 2013). "Locked in the Cabinet". Politico. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013.

[Schuman-6] Schuman, Frederick L. (1969). Why a Department of Peace. Beverly Hills: Another Mother for Peace. p. 56. OCLC 339785.

[7] "History of Legislation to Create a Dept. of Peace". Archived from the original on 2006-07-20.

[Roosevelt-8] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "10 - Summary of the Report of the Committee on Administrative Management". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. Overhaul the more than 100 separate departments, boards, commissions, administrations, authorities, corporations, committees, agencies and activities which are now parts of the Executive Branch, and theoretically under the President, and consolidate them within twelve regular departments, which would include the existing ten departments and two new departments, a Department of Social Welfare, and a Department of Public Works. Change the name of the Department of Interior to Department of Conservation.

[9] "23 - Special Message to the Congress Transmitting Reorganization Plan 1 of 1962". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.

[10] "121 - Special Message to the Congress: The Quality of American Government". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. In my State of the Union Address, and later in my Budget and Economic Messages to the Congress, I proposed the creation of a new Department of Business and Labor.

[11] "33 - Special Message to the Congress on Rural Development". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.

[12] "116 - Special Message to the Congress on Executive Branch Reorganization". The University of California, Santa Barbara - The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017. The new Department of Economic Affairs would include many of the offices that are now within the Departments of Commerce, Labor and Agriculture. A large part of the Department of Transportation would also be relocated here, including the United States Coast Guard, the Federal Railroad Administration, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Systems Center, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Motor Carrier Safety Bureau and most of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Small Business Administration, the Science Information Exchange program from the Smithsonian Institution, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Office of Technology Utilization from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration would also be included in the new Department.

[13] "Public Notes on 02-RMSP3". Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.

[14] "A Conversation with Michael McConnell". Council on Foreign Relations (Federal News Service, rush transcript). June 29, 2007. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.

[15] "Time for a Cabinet-Level U.S. Department of Global Development". The Center for Global Development. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2017.

[16] Clarke, Jr., John (January 16, 2009). "Quincy Jones Lobbies Obama for Secretary of Culture Post". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2010.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[17] "President Obama Announces proposal to reform, reorganize and consolidate Government". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017 – via National Archives.

[18] "Obama Suggests 'Secretary of Business' in a 2nd Term - Washington Wire - WSJ". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.

[19] "White House Proposes Merging Education And Labor Departments". NPR.org. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.

[20] "Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century | Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations" (PDF). whitehouse.gov. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 12, 2019.

[21] Warren, Team (2019-06-04). "A Plan For Economic Patriotism". Medium. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-30.

[22] "Regulate AI and other Emerging Technologies". Andrew Yang for President. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-21.

[23] "U.S. Department of Children and Youth "The Whole Child Plan"". Marianne Williamson for President. Retrieved 2020-12-01.

[24] Garber, Megan (2013-07-01). "Should the U.S. Have a Secretary of Culture?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-01-22.

[25] "Hey Joe — appoint a culture secretary". theweek.com. 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2021-01-22.

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hide v t Federal executive departments of the United States of America
Current	Agriculture Commerce Defense Education Energy Health and Human Services Homeland Security Housing and Urban Development Interior Justice Labor State Transportation Treasury Veterans Affairs
Former	Air Force Army Commerce and Labor Health, Education, and Welfare Navy Post Office War