Cabinet office of the Executive Branch

1. The Fifteen Executive
Departments

2. Executive
Branch

3. Department of
State (1789)
Principal Functions:
Advises the President on foreign policy
Negotiates agreements with foreign
countries
Represents the US abroad and in
international organizations
Important Agencies:
Foreign Service
Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Bureau of International Organization
Affairs

4. Department of
Treasury (1789)
Principal Functions:
Produces coins and bills
Collects taxes
Borrows money and manages public debt
Important Agencies:
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Bureau of the Public Debt
United States Mint

5. Department of
Defense (1789)
Principal Functions:
Provides military forces to deter war and
protect the nation’s security
Important Agencies:
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Departments of the Army, the Navy, and
the Air Force

6. Department of
Justice (1870)
Principal Functions:
Prosecute those accused of violating federal
law
Enforces federal laws
Operates federal prisons
Provides legal advice to the President
Represents the US in court
Important Agencies:
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
US Marshals Service

7. Department of
Interior (1849)
Principal Functions:
Manages public lands, wildlife refuges, and
national parks
Operates hydroelectric power plants
Helps Native Americans manage their
affairs
Important Agencies:
US Fish and Wildlife Services
National Park Service
Bureau of Indian Affairs

8. Department of
Agriculture
(1889)
Principal Functions:
Manages national forests
Inspects food
Assists farmers and ranchers
Administers food stamp and school lunch
programs
Important Agencies:
Agricultural Research Service
Food and Nutrition Service
Forest Service

9. Department of
Commerce
(1903)
Principal Functions:
Conducts census
Grants patents and registers trademarks
Promotes internal trade, economic growth,
and technological development
Important Agencies:
Bureau of the Census
Patent andTrademark Office
International Trade Administration

10. Department of
Labor (1913)
Principal Functions:
Enforces federal laws on minimum wages,
maximum hours and safe working
conditions
Operates job training programs
Administers unemployment insurance and
workers’ compensation programs
Important Agencies:
Employment Standards Administration
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Women’s Bureau

11. Department of
Health and
Human
Services (1953)
Principal Functions:
Funds healthcare research programs
Conducts programs to prevent and control
disease
Enforces pure food and drug laws
Administers Medicare and Medicaid
Important Agencies:
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
National Institutes of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC)

12. Department of
Housing and
Urban
Development
(1965)
Principal Functions:
Operates home-financing and public
housing programs
Enforces fair housing laws
Important Agencies:
Office of Housing
Office of Fair Housing and Equal
Opportunity
Government National Mortgage
Association

13. Department of
Transportation
(1967)
Principal Functions:
Administers programs to promote and
regulate highways, mass transit, railroads,
waterways, air travel, and oil and gas
pipelines
Important Agencies:
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
Maritime Administration

14. Department of
Energy (1977)
Principal Functions:
Promotes production of renewable energy,
fossil fuels, and nuclear energy
Transmits and sells hydroelectric power
Conducts nuclear weapons research and
production
Important Agencies:
 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy
 Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and
Technology
 Regional Power Administration

15. Department of
Education
(1979)
Principal Functions:
Administers federal aid to schools
Conducts educational research
Important Agencies:
Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education
Office of Postsecondary Education

16. Department of
Veterans
Affairs (1988)
Principal Functions:
Administers benefits, pensions, and
medical programs for veterans of the
armed forces
Oversees military cemeteries
Important Agencies
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Health Administration
National Cemetery Administration

17. Department of
Homeland
Security (2002)
Principal Functions:
Border and transportation security
Emergency preparedness and response
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear
defense
Information analysis and infrastructure
protection
Important Agencies:
 Coast Guard
 Secret Service
 US Citizenship and Immigration Services
 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement