The 15 Executive Cabinet Departments
Each of the 15 executive Cabinet departments administers programs that oversee an aspect of life in the United States. The highest departmental official of each Cabinet department, the Secretary, is a member of the President’s Cabinet. Each, listed by employment size, is described below (table 1).
• Defense: Manages the military forces that protect our country and its interests, including the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force and a number of smaller agencies. The civilian workforce employed by the Department of Defense performs various support activities, such as payroll and public relations.
• Veterans Affairs: Administers programs to aid U.S. veterans and their families, runs the veterans’ hospital system, and operates our national cemeteries.
• Homeland Security: Works to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters. It also administers the country’s immigration policies and oversees the Coast Guard
• Treasury: Regulates banks and other financial institutions, administers the public debt, prints currency, and collects Federal income taxes.
• Justice: Works with State and local governments and other agencies to prevent and control crime and ensure public safety against threats both domestic and foreign. It also enforces Federal laws, prosecutes cases in Federal courts, and runs Federal prisons.
• Agriculture: Promotes U.S. agriculture domestically and internationally, researches new ways to grow crops and conserve natural resources, ensures safe meat and poultry products, and leads the Federal anti-hunger programs, such as Food Stamps and School Lunch.
• Interior: Manages Federal lands, including the national parks and forests; runs hydroelectric power systems; and promotes conservation of natural resources.
• Health and Human Services: Performs health and social science research, assures the safety of drugs and foods other than meat and poultry, and administers Medicare, Medicaid, and numerous other social service programs.
• Transportation: Sets national transportation policy; plans and funds the construction of highways and mass transit systems; and regulates railroad, aviation, and maritime operations.
• Commerce: Forecasts the weather, charts the oceans, regulates patents and trademarks, conducts the census, compiles statistics, and promotes U.S. economic growth by encouraging international trade.
• State: Oversees the Nation’s embassies and consulates, issues passports, monitors U.S. interests abroad, and represents the United States before international organizations.
• Labor: Enforces laws guaranteeing fair pay, workplace safety, and equal job opportunity; administers unemployment insurance; regulates pension funds; and collects and analyzes economic data through its Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Energy: Coordinates the national use and provision of energy, oversees the production and disposal of nuclear weapons, and plans for future energy needs.
• Housing and Urban Development: Funds public housing projects, enforces equal housing laws, and insures and finances mortgages.
• Education: Monitors and distributes financial aid to schools and students, collects and disseminates data on schools and other education matters, and prohibits discrimination in education.
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Table 1. Federal Government executive branch civilian employment, except U.S. Postal Service, November 2004 (Employment in thousands)
| Department | United States | Washington, DC area |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,767 | 279 |
| Executive departments | 1,582 | 227 |
| Defense, total | 616 | 64 |
| Army | 211 | 19 |
| Navy | 171 | 24 |
| Air Force | 150 | 6 |
| Other | 84 | 15 |
| Veterans Affairs | 234 | 7 |
| Homeland Security | 149 | 19 |
| Justice | 103 | 23 |
| Agriculture | 102 | 12 |
| Treasury | 95 | 9 |
| Interior | 71 | 8 |
| Health and Human Services | 61 | 28 |
| Transportation | 57 | 9 |
| Commerce | 36 | 20 |
| Labor | 16 | 5 |
| Energy | 15 | 5 |
| State | 13 | 11 |
| Housing and Urban Development | 10 | 3 |
| Education | 4 | 3 |
| Independent agencies | 183 | 50 |
| Social Security Administration | 65 | 2 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | 20 | 4 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 18 | 7 |
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 13 | 0 |
| General Services Administration | 13 | 5 |
| Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | 5 | 2 |
| Other | 49 | 30 |
SOURCE: U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Numerous independent agencies perform tasks that fall between the jurisdictions of the executive departments or that are more efficiently executed by an autonomous agency. Some smaller, but well- known, independent agencies include the Peace Corps, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission. Although the majority of these agencies are fairly small, employing fewer than 1,000 workers (many employ fewer than 100 workers), some are quite large. The largest independent agencies are:
• Social Security Administration: Operates various old age, survivor, and disability insurance programs.
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Oversees aviation research and conducts exploration and research beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Environmental Protection Agency: Runs programs to control and reduce pollution of the Nation’s water, air, and lands.
• Tennessee Valley Authority: Operates the hydroelectric power system in the Tennessee River Valley.
• General Services Administration: Manages and protects Federal Government property and records.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: Maintains stability of and public confidence in the Nation’s financial system, by insuring deposits and promoting sound banking practices.
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