Cabinet+and+Executive+Departments


 * ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS**

There are fifteen different departments in the executive branch. The heads of each of the departments hax the title of "Secretary" with the exception of the Department of Justice, who is called the Attorney General. These secretaries together form the President's Cabinet; his closest advisors.


 * [[image:Condoleezza_RIce.jpg width="80" height="102" link="http://www.state.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF STATE]**

Secretary of State: Condoleezza Rice The [|Department of State] is led by the State Secretary, which at the moment is Condoleezza Rice. The department deals with foreign policies and relationships with other countries. They open embassies in other countries that are run by ambassadors from the United States of America.


 * [[image:John_W_snow.jpg link="http://www.ustreas.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY]**

Secretary of Treasury: John W. Snow The Treasury deals with budgeting and other money related issues. It also mints and engraves money. Sites such as the [|Department of Treasury Kid's Page] teach kids about the Department of Treasury.


 * [[image:norton.gif link="http://www.doi.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR]**

Secretary of Interior: Gale A. Norton The [|Department of the Interior] is responsible for all federal lands. They also run national parks, so they control the land owned by our country.


 * [[image:Mike_Johannns.jpg width="84" height="106" link="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome"]][|DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE]**

Secretary of Agriculture: Mike Johanns The [|Department of Agriculture] deals with farming and other agricultural needs. They also help farmers with whatever they need.


 * [[image:Samuel_W_Bodmen.jpg width="90" height="122" link="http://www.energy.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY]**

Secretary of Energy: Samuel W. Bodman The [|Department of Energy] deals with electricity, oil, and gas supplies. This cabinet department was created in the 1970's. Right before they created this cabinet there was a major gas shortage in the U.S. There were huge lines for the gas stations and when it finally got to your turn there might not have been any gas left.


 * [[image:Robert_M_Gates.jpg width="91" height="123" link="http://www.defenselink.mil/%20"]][|DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE]**

Secretary of Defense: Robert M. Gates The [|Department of Defense] deals with wars in other countries and terrorism issues. One of their main focuses right now is the war in terrorism and the war in the Middle East. This Department is the biggest out of all of the cabinets. This Department deals with defending our country from terroism outside the U.S. Right know this Department is focusing on the Middle East.Donald Rumsfeild replacement as Secretary of Defense is Robert M. Gates.

**[|DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE]**

Attorney General: Alberto R. Gonzales This is the only cabinet department that does not have a secretary in charge of it. Instead of having a secretary it has an Attorney General. They are the chief legal officers of the United States. An example of a time that they would charge someone would be: If a company was dumping oil illegally into a lake or ocean, they would charge them and then take them to the judicial branch to be charged.


 * [[image:Carlos_M_Gutierrez.jpg width="104" height="134" link="http://www.commerce.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE]**

Secretary of Commerce: Carlos M. Gutierrez The [|Department of Commerce] deals with trade in the United States and also trade with foreign countries. They work with the [|Department of State], the [|Department of Defense], the [|Department of the Treasury], and the [|Department of Homeland Security].


 * [[image:Mary.jpg width="103" height="134" link="http://www.dot.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION]**

Secretary of Transportation: Mary E. Peters The [|Department of Transportation] deals with transportation of all kinds. They also fix roads and make sure that they are safe. They are in charge of TSA (airport security), and also investigate all plane crashes.http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/gonzales-bi


 * [[image:spellings-100.jpg link="http://www.ed.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION]**

Secretary of Education: Margaret Spellings The [|Department of Education] makes sure that schools are teaching everything that they are supposed to be teaching.


 * [[image:leavitt_big.jpg width="94" height="118" link="http://www.hhs.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES]**

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Michael O. Leavitt The [|Department of Health and Human Services] makes sure that hospitals are up to date and that doctors get their licensed renewed every year. They also test drugs before they put them out on the market. They make sure that they are safe to use. They are in charge of health care and try to get people the best benefits that they can get. For the homeless people they build homeless shelters and soup kitchens for them to go to to get a good meal and a place to stay. They also have welfare for people that might have lost their jobs and food stamps for poorer families to be able to go to the store to get the food that they need to support their families.


 * [[image:aljackson071405.jpg width="91" height="116" link="http://www.hud.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT]**

Secretary of Houseing and Urban Development: Alphonso Jackson The [|Department of Housing and Development] also known as [|HUD] creates housing projects for lower end neighborhoods to make the houses more affordable for people. They work a lot with the Department of Health and Human Services.


 * [[image:300-chao.jpg width="83" height="121" link="http://www.dol.gov/"]][|DEPARTMENT OF LABOR]**

Secretary of Labor: Elaine L. Chao The [|Department of Labor] decides how long people should work for full time and part time jobs. They have a lot of rules of how different things should be run in the work place. Every once in awhile they take a count for how many people are un-employed and there is another count for the number of people who are under-employed.


 * [[image:nicholson-100.jpg width="86" height="108" link="http://www.va.gov/"]][|VETERANS ADMINISTRATION]**

Secretary of the Vetrans Administration: Jim Nicholson The [|Veterans Administration] is in charge of the[| VA Hospital] which provides free health care for all soldiers who have served in war. You can also earn credits to help you buy houses easier or they will also help you go to college.


 * [[image:chertoff-100-0.jpg width="85" height="106" link="http://www.dhs.gov/"]][|THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY]**

Secretary of Homeland Security: Michael Chertoff The [|Department of Homeland Security] deals with problems that we have within our country. They provide border control and they are trying to keep the illegal immigrants out. They also provide our security and protection. They have a branch called [|FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)] that goes to natural disasters as soon as they happen. They go there to help clean up the mess and also give people temporary shelters to live in and the food and water that they need. Here is a link to the [|FEMA Page for Kids] to help them learn about disaster awareness. The [|Department of Homeland Security] has only been around for four years. They are the youngest cabinet but they are already the fourth largest cabinet.