The Executive Branch

• The executive branch is made up of four parts– President– Vice President– Cabinet– Executive Office of the President

President

Vice President

Presidential Cabinet2008-2012

The Presidential Cabinet is appointed by the President and approved by the Senate.

It is a group of people put in charge of specific departments of government and

are the top advisors to the President in the respective departments.

Secretary of State• Acts as the senior executive department of the U.S.

government; serves as the president’s principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy; conducts negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs; and advises the president on the appointment of U.S. ambassadors, ministers, consuls and other diplomatic representatives.

Hillary Clinton

Secretary Treasurer• Promotes prosperous and stable American and

world economics. In charge of the money!

Timothy Geithner

Secretary of Defense• Trains and equips the armed forces through the

four military departments — the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. (The Marine Corps. is a second armed service in the Department of the Navy)

Leon Penetta

Attorney General

• Heads the Department of Justice — Represents the citizens of the United States by enforcing the laws in the public interest.

Eric Holder

Secretary of the Interior

• Protects and provides access to the nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honors responsibilities to Native American tribes and our commitments to island communities.

Kenneth Salazar

Secretary of Agriculture

• Directs the production of agriculture, food safety, nutrition, rural American trade, natural resources and research.

Tom Vilsack

Secretary of Commerce

• Promotes job creation, economic growth and a sustainable development and improves living standards for all Americans.

John E. Bryson

Secretary of Labor• Prepares the American work force for new and

better jobs and ensures the adequacy for America’s workplace.

Hilda Solis

Secretary of Health and Human Resources

• Protects the health of all Americans and provides essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

Kathleen Sebelius

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• Provides a decent, safe and sanitary home and suitable living environment for every American.

Shaun Donovan

Secretary of Transportation

• Oversees the formulation of national transportation policy and promotes intermodal transportation.

Ray LaHood

Secretary of Energy• Fosters a secure and reliable energy system that is

environmentally and economically sustainable, to be a responsible steward of the nation’s nuclear weapons, to clean up facilities and to support continued U.S. leadership in science and technology.

Steven Chu

Secretary of Education

• Ensures equal access to education and promote education excellence for all Americans.

Arne Duncan

Secretary of Veteran Affairs

• Serves American veterans and their families with dignity and compassion and acts as the principle advocate in ensuring that they receive help in recognition of their service to the nation.

Eric Shinseki

Secretary of Homeland Security

• Concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens.

Janet Napolitano

Cabinet Level Officers

• The Presidents main advisors that often determines final decisions, often referred to as the White House Staff.

• Sometimes referred as the true power of the President since they are always involved in the final decision making processes.

Vice President• Second in charge and line of succession and leader

of the Senate. Over time the President has assigned many more responsibilities to the Vice President.

Joseph Biden

Chief of Staff• The highest ranking member of the Executive

Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.

Jack Lew

Director of the Office of Management and Budget

• The largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The are in charge of balancing and managing the budget of the United States.

Jeffrey Zients

United States Trade Representative• The United States government agency responsible

for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the President of the United States.

Ron Kirk

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Protects human health and safeguards the natural environment. Conducts research on the adverse effects of pollution and on methods and equipment for controlling it.

Lisa Jackson

Ambassador of the United Nations

• The leader of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations.

Susan Rice

Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors

• A group of three respected economists who advise the President of the United States on economic policy

Alan B. Krueger