3. The United States Cabinet  The heads of the Executive Branch Departments  Senior Advisors to the President  Originally there were four…now there are fifteen  They are nominated by the president and approved and confirmed by the U.S. Senate (Advise and Consent Clause)

4. The Original Dream Team

5. The Big Four  Secretary of State: concerned with foreign affairs and is the nation’s top diplomat  Secretary of the Treasury: handles the nation’s economic policy  Secretary of Defense: senior military policy advisor (Originally called the Secretary of War!)  Attorney General: chief law enforcement officer and senior lawyer of the United States

6. Traditions of the Cabinet  After the Vice-President, the Speaker of the House, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the order of precedence and presidential succession goes to the Cabinet in order of seniority…  1. Secretary of State  2. Secretary of Treasury  3. Secretary of Defense  4. Attorney General  5. And so on…

7. Traditions of the Cabinet  The Secretaries of State and Defense sit at the right and left of the President.  The Vice-President sits directly across from the President  The Secretary of the Treasury and Attorney General sit to the right and left of the Vice- President  The remaining cabinet members sit further away based on their rank

8. The Designated Survivor  Because all members of the Cabinet are eligible to serve as president…  It is extremely rare for the entire cabinet to meet in one place at the same time.  One member of the cabinet is ALWAYS absent.  In the event the government is destroyed the absent member automatically becomes president: they are THE DESIGNATED SURVIVOR

9. Thought on Life  Please respond to the following prompt in your civics notebook:  Who would you allow to serve in your presidential cabinet and why?