United States federal executive departments

The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States—the Departments of State, War, and the Treasury all being established within a few weeks of each other in 1789.

The heads of the federal executive departments are the members of the traditional Cabinet; since 1792, they have, by statutory specification, constituted a line of succession, after the Speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate to the presidency in the event of a vacancy in both that office and the vice presidency. The Constitution refers to these officials when it authorizes the President, in Article II, section 2, to "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." In brief, they and their organizations are the administrative arms of the President.

Contents

Departments

All departments are listed by their present-day name and only departments with past or present cabinet-level status are listed. Order of succession has always included the vice president; at times – including presently – the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate have also been included.

Department Creation Order of
succession		 Modifications since creation 2009 Outlays
in billions
of dollars		 Employees (2007)
State 1789 4 Initially named "Department of Foreign Affairs" 16.39 18,900
Treasury 1789 5 19.56 115,897
Defense 1947 6 Initially named "National Military Establishment" 651.16 3,000,000
Justice 1870 7 Position of Attorney General created in 1789, but had no department until 1870 46.20 112,557
Interior 1849 8 90.00 71,436
Agriculture 1889 9 134.12 109,832
Commerce 1903 10 Originally named Commerce and Labor; Labor later separated 15.77 141,885
Labor 1913 11 137.97 17,347
Health and Human Services 1953 12 Originally named Health, Education, and Welfare; Education later separated 879.20 67,000
Housing and Urban Development 1965 13 40.53 10,600
Transportation 1966 14 73.20 58,622
Energy 1977 15 24.10 109,094
Education 1979 16 45.40 4,487
Veterans Affairs 1989 17 Initially named "Veterans Administration" 97.70 235,000
Homeland Security 2002 18 40.00 208,000
Total outlays (fiscal year 2009):         3,997.80 4,193,144

Seals

Seal of the United States Department of Agriculture

Seal of the United States Department of Commerce

Seal of the United States Department of Defense

Seal of the United States Department of Education

Seal of the United States Department of Energy

Seal of the United States Department of Health and Human Services

Seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security

Seal of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

Seal of the United States Department of the Interior

Seal of the United States Department of Justice

Seal of the United States Department of Labor

Seal of the United States Department of State

Seal of the United States Department of Transportation

Seal of the United States Department of the Treasury

Seal of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Past departments

Department Dates of Operation Notes
War 1789–1947 Subsumed by Department of Defense, renamed Department of the Army
Post Office 1792–1971 Reorganized as quasi-independent agency, United States Postal Service
Navy 1798–1947 Subsumed by Department of Defense
Commerce and Labor 1903–1913 Divided between Department of Commerce and Department of Labor
Health, Education, and Welfare 1953–1979 Divided between Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education

See also

References

United States federal executive departments

Agriculture • Commerce • Defense • Education • Energy • Health and Human Services • Homeland Security • Housing and Urban Development • Interior • Justice • Labor • State • Transportation • Treasury • Veterans Affairs
Past departments:  Commerce and Labor • Health, Education, and Welfare • Navy • Post Office • War