Transcript The President`s Cabinet - Middle School Social Studies at PECS

The President’s Cabinet
Who Are They?????
How are they selected???
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…”
Interesting Facts about
Presidential Cabinets
• George Washington’s 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.
The First Executive Departments:
George Washington’s Presidency
• Department of State—Secretary of State Thomas
Jefferson
• Department of the Treasury—Secretary of the Treasury
Alexander Hamilton
• Department of War—Secretary of Defense Henry Knox
• Office of the Attorney General—Edmund Randolphbecame the Department of Justice in 1870
Today there are fifteen departments.
Presidential Cabinet Today
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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
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
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.
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
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.
Department of Justice
• Oversees the nation’s
legal affairs
• Supervises the
agencies that serve
as the nation’s police
and prison system
• Enforces antitrust
laws
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 AfricanAmerican named to that post. Prior
to that he served as U.S. Attorney
for the District of Columbia.
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
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.
Department of Interior
• Protects the public
lands and natural
resources throughout
the U.S.
• Oversees
relationships with
Native Americans
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.
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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, socialsecurity, and health-care systems.
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He also served on the Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources,
Ethics, Veterans Affairs and Aging Committees.
Department of Agriculture
• Helps farmers improve
incomes and production
for home and abroad
• Develops conservation
programs
• Safeguards the nation’s
food supply
Secretary of Agriculture
• Tom Vilsack serves as the Nation's
30th Secretary of the Agriculture.
Department of Commerce
• Promotes and
protects the industrial
and commercial parts
of the economy
• Carries out the
census
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.
Department of Labor
• Ensures safe working
conditions
• Oversees minimum
wages and protects
pensions
• Collects and analyzes
data on employment
Secretary of Labor
•
Secretary Hilda L. Solis was confirmed as Secretary of
Labor on February 24, 2009.
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Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in
California, a position she held from 2001 – 2009.
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In the Congress, Solis’ priorities included expanding
access to affordable health care, protecting the
environment, and improving the lives of working
families.
Department of Health and
Human Services
• Oversees programs
concerned with health
and social services of
the American people
• Manages federal
medicare and
medicaid
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 America’s health and enhance the delivery
of human services to some of the nation’s 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 industry’s worst abuses, and will help
34 million uninsured Americans get health coverage.
Department of Housing and
Urban Development
• Works to assist
communities in the
nation
• Ensures equal
housing opportunities
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.
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He has devoted his career to ensuring access to safe,
decent, and affordable housing, and has continued
that effort in the Obama Administration.
Department of Transportation
• Regulates America’s
transportation needs,
policies and planning.
• Works to ensure safe,
efficient, and
convenient land and
air transportation
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
Department of Energy
• Plans energy policy
• Researches and
develops energy
technology
SECRETARY OF ENERGY
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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.
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
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.
Department of Veterans Affairs
• Oversees medical
care for veterans and
families
• Manages educational
programs for veterans
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
•
Retired U.S. Army General Eric K. Shinseki was
nominated by President Barack Obama on
December 7, 2008
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Served as Chief of Staff, United States Army, from
1999 to June 11, 2003, and retired from active duty
on August 1, 2003.
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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.
Department of Homeland Security
• Charged with
protecting the security
of America’s borders,
shores, land and the
safety of its people
• Newest department
created after
September 11, 2001
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
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
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)