Chapter 15: Government at Work: The Bureaucracy Section 3: The Executive Department

The Executive Department Objectives: * Describe the origin and development of the executive department. * Analyze the structure and functions of the Cabinet. * Analyze the role of the Cabinet in the President’s decisions.

The Executive Department  In the Federalist No. 76 – Alexander Hamilton declared that “the true test of a good government is its aptitude and tendency to produce a good administration”.  Given that comment, it seems strange that Hamilton and the other Framers spent so little time on the organization of the executive branch.

The Executive Department Executive Departments * Much of the work of the Federal Government is done by the 14 executive departments. * They are called the Cabinet departments, the are the traditional units of federal administration and each of them is built around some broad field of activity.

The Executive Department  The First Congress created 3 of these departments.  Departments of State, War, and Treasury  As the size of the workload grew for the federal government, Congress added new departments.  Some departments have been abolished over time.

The Executive Department  Chief Officers and Staff  Each department is headed by a secretary except for the Department of Justice – Attorney General – oversees this department.  Each department head is the primary link between the president and his or her department.  Each of these heads strive to promote and protect his or her own department with the White House and Congress.

The Executive Department  Under secretary or deputy secretary and the assistants aid the secretary in their role.  Subunits – Each department is made up of a number of subunits – or agencies.  Each one is divided even more into smaller working units.  Many of the agencies are structured geographically.  Much of the work is done through regional or district offices.

The Executive Department  90 percent of all federal workers (employees) are stationed somewhere outside the nation’s capital.  The Veterans Health Administration – part of the Department of Veterans Affairs – provides medical care to eligible veterans at 173 medical centers, 376 outpatient clinics, and a large number of other facilities.

The Executive Department  The Departments Today  The Department of State – oldest and the most prestigious department.  It has 25,000 employees (smallest)  It has 670,000 civilian workers and another 14 million men and women in uniform.  The Department of Health and Human Services has the largest budget – 1/3 of all federal spending  Department of Foreign Affairs – newest

The Executive Department The Cabinet  The Cabinet is an informal advisory body brought together by the President to serve his needs.  The Constitution did not mention of a cabinet nor did Congress create it.  The Cabinet is the product of custom and usage.

The Executive Department  In 1789, Congress created four executive posts 1) Secretary of State – Thomas Jefferson 2) Secretary of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton 3) Secretary of War – Henry Knox 4) Attorney General – Edmund Randolph This is how the Cabinet was born!

The Executive Department  By tradition, the heads of the now 14 executive departments for the Cabinet  Each of the last several Presidents has added a number of other top officials to the group  Office of Homeland Security  Environmental Protection Agency  Office of Management and Budget

The Executive Department  The President appoints the head of each of the 14 executive departments.  Each of these appointments is subject to confirmation by the US Senate.  The Senate generally respects the personal choice of the President.  Only 12 of the 600 presidential appointments have been turned down since 1789.

The Executive Department  Presidential choices usually have professional qualifications and practical service are taken into account for each appointment.  Geography plays an important role as well.  The President tries to give some regional balance to the choices.  Gender and Race also are considerations to a President’s choice.

The Executive Department  Women and minorities have started to get more attention to the Cabinet positions.  First woman appointed by President F. D. Roosevelt in  President Lyndon Johnson appointed the first African-American to a post in 1966.

The Executive Department The Cabinet’s Role * Cabinet members have two major roles. 1) Individually, each is the administrative head of one of the executive departments. 2) They are advisers to the President

The Executive Department  A number of Presidents have given great weight to the Cabinet and to its advice.  George H.W. Bush’s cabinet had more influence than any other president’s cabinet since WW II.  John Kennedy’s cabinet meetings were called a “waste of time”. He did not consider any of their input in his decision- making.

The Executive Department  No President has ever suggested eliminating the Cabinet.  Some Presidents have leaned on other people’s advise instead of the Cabinet.

The Executive Department Presidential Departments 1) Department of State – ) Department of the Treasury – ) Department of the Defense – ) Department of Justice – ) Department of the Interior – ) Department of Agriculture – ) Department of Commerce

The Executive Department Presidential Departments 8) Department of labor – ) Department of Health and Human Services – ) Department of Housing & Urban Development – ) Department of Transportation

The Executive Department Presidential Departments 12) Department of Energy – ) Department of Education – ) Department of Veterans Affairs