The+Cabinet

The cabinet is a part of the Executive Branch. It is the section that contains the secretaries, or heads, of all the departments.
 * The Cabinet**


 * The Executive Branch**

There are many [|Departments] in the [|Executive Branch]. These are also the presidents closest advisers.

There is the Department of Labor which deals with the work place, and rules of the work place.

There is a Department of Housing and Urban Development. This department deals with the building of cities in any way and they deal with houses.

Another department is the Department of Education which deals with schools and all education. There also is the Department of State which deals with our relationship with other states or countries. The Department of the Treasury only deals with money. The Department of the Interior is responsible for the making of National Parks, and taking care of all government owned land. The Department of Agriculture is in charge of taking care of farms, crops, and agriculture. The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the newer departments. It deals with the help of supping food, and a place to live for veterans. The department that is in charge of all energy is the Energy Department. The Department of Commerce is all about trade, it also deals with the U.S. and other countries. The department of Homeland Security is in charge of protecting porters they are also responsible for preventing bombings before they happen. Department of Transportation is with all forms of transportation. Department of Health and Human Services is all about human care. Such as day cares, nursing homes, and health care.


 * The Department of Homeland Security -- Bush Administration Secretary: Michael Chertoff**

A department in the cabinet is the [|Department of Homeland Security]. The people that work in this department focus on keeping the citizens safe. They also make sure all the immigrants that come into our country are legal. This department has set up a chart to show levels of security. This chart shows the different types of dangerous risks and how citizens should react to them.

A green risk is the lowest risk possible. If a citizen is under this risk he or she is requested to abide to some of these rules. The department says that each family should have a disaster safety kit located in their household. Also each family member should know where a safe place is when there is an emergency.

When there is a yellow risk level you have to make sure everything is ready to go. For instance, make sure that your disaster kit is all packed and ready to be used. Also as your relatives are moving and addresses change as do phone numbers, write the new ones down as soon as you can. Plan alternate routes to and from your average day destinations and practice them. At this elevated risk you should report any suspicious activity to any security official.

In a severe risk, which is signaled red, you are to listen to all emergency officials and do what you are told to do. Prepare to take shelter in a safe place or evacuate your area as instructed. In these risk level you need to expect traffic delays and hold-ups at airports, bus, and train stations. If a person were in this risk, he or she would have to remember that there is zero tolerance in any suspicious activity.

[|Illegal immigrants] are starting to get pretty bad in the US. The government says that all people must have a valid ID with them when traveling. This can be a drivers license or just a regular ID card. Each card must have where the person’s citizenship belongs to. It also has to have an up to date photo. The Department of Homeland Security is a helpful department to improve make our country safe.


 * The Department of Transportation -- Bush Administration Secretary: Mary E. Peters**

The Department of Transportation (DOT) deals with all types of transportation. This department also deals with international transportation like with what planes or boats are coming into our country and what is on them. The department is here to make it safe when people are traveling. The department makes traveling safe by making different rules.

An [|aviation rule] is like changing the rudder on different planes such as the Boeing 737. There has been a multitude of problems with these planes all the way from not being able to turn to actually crashing. Fixing these rudders will make people feel safer when traveling in the air. Another rule for aviation is that all people must abide to anything a crew member tells them to do. If people didn’t listen to the crew members, this could end up in putting their lives in jeopardy. If you listen to crew members this could result in keeping your flight much safer. The whole point of DOT is to make aviation safe.

A highway rule is that all states must have a radio station as to where people can listen to hear about traffic delays and upcoming accidents. If people hear about this they can reroute themselves to avoid getting in danger. The thing people don’t want is to sit in line in a traffic jam. Now to be safer you can avoid it. DOT is here to make traveling safe and not a hassle.


 * The Department of Health and Human Services -- Bush Administration Secretary: Michael O. Leavitt**

[|The United States Health and Human Services] is a department of the Cabinet department. Its goal is to protect the health of all Americans and provide important human services. President Jimmy Carter created this department when he signed the Department of Education Organization Act in 1979. It split the Department of Health, education, and welfare. It included the G.I. Bill, and Veterans Administrations into the Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Education. They started operating in 1980.




 * The Department of Treasury -- Bush Administration Secretary: Henry M. Paulson, Jr.**

Department of Treasury is the department that deals with all the money used in the country. They were started as an act of congress in 1789 used to manage the government revenue. The Department prints and mints of all paper money and coin currencies in the circulation through the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint. Some of their duties were they collect all U.s. Revenue, they regulate all financial institutions of the United States. The department also regulate exports and imports, along with enforcing all U.S. laws of a financial aspect.

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 * The [|History] of the Department of Agriculture -- Bush Administration Secretary: Ed Schafer**

The [|Department of Agriculture] commission is to improve and control farm income and to develop and expand markets elsewhere for agricultural products. This department helps to prevent and aid poverty, and malnutrition. They help property owners to guard natural resources.

In 1776, George Washington engaged that the U.S. Congress create a Department of Agriculture. At that time the only agriculture you could find was a local market. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln constructed the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Also, in 1889, the department moved to be in the Cabinet. The first person to become Secretary of Agriculture was Norman Jay Coleman. Meat was very dangerous at this time because there were no regulations or rules about the butchery of animals. Most people became ill eating the meat. This was a job for The Department of Agriculture. 1890 through 1891 was the first inspection ordeals. The government had the permission to check all slaughter houses for healthy reasons. The Food and Drug law was passed in 1906. The USDA immediately started to inform the people of the U.S. on food handling and groundwork. “The Great Depression hit the agriculture industry hard” In 1933, President Roosevelt was very concerned that if he did not call for a social safety network soon the United States would dive into communism. That is when the Agriculture Adjustment Act developed crop and marketing control. After this act the government got more involved in agriculture. The USDA was engrossed in placing price controls and food rationing. All families were given a ration card. The department really needed to concentrate on the feeding the troops. By the time the 1950s and 60s went by the agriculture business was in a good position and had bulk food supplies to feed the needy and anyone else that was lacking food.


 * Department of Veteran Affairs -- Bush Administration Secretary: Dr. James Peake**

Department of Veteran Affairs use to be called veterans administration, or the VA, and was established July 21, 1930. This is the governments largest department, with a budget of over $70 billion. There are about 230,000 people at the Veteran Affairs. The department leader (secretary of veterans affairs) is chosen by the president with help from the senate. The current secretary of veterans affairs is James Peake at the time.


 * The Department of Defense -- Bush Administration Secretary -- Robert M. Gates**

[|The Department of Defense], otherwise known as DOD, is the federal department in charge of coordinating and supervising all agencies relating to national security and the military. The department of defense is the major tenant of the Pentagon. The three major components are the Department of the Army, the department of the navy, and the department of the air force.


 * The Department of Energy -- Bush Administration Secretary: Samuel W. Bodman**

The Department of Energy, also known as DOE, is the department responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. This includes the Nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor program, energy conservation program, and other things like this. In the U.S.A., all nuclear weapons are actually loaned from the Department of Energy to the Department of Defense.


 * The Department of Education -- Bush Administration Secretary: Margaret Spellings**

The Department of Education, also known as ED, was created in 1767 but demoted a year later. A century later is was created again and was opposed by many in the Republican Party, who saw this unconstitutional and unnecessary. Unlike some countries, the Department of Education is not heavily involved in determining curricula or education standards.


 * Department of Justice -- Bush Administration Attorney General: Michael Mukasey**

The Department of Justice, or DOJ, was designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the U.S.A. The key organization (both old and new) are: - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Immigration and Naturalization Services (now part of Department of homeland security The build to this place was completed in 1935 from a design made by a man named Milton Bennett Medary. After his death, two partners of his took control of the project.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was put in to place in 1965 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act. President Lyndon Johnson was in office at the time the act was put into place. It is another important part of the cabinet. Its role and the things it associates with is the needs of Nation's housing, fair housing opportunities and the improvement of the Nation's communities. This department used to do much work with the urban development functions. Now, its main focus is getting Americans in proper homes and communities.
 * The Department of Housing and Urban Development -- Bush Administration Secretary: Roy A. Bernardi**


 * The Department of the Interior -- Bush Administration Secretary: Dirk Kempthorne**


 * The Department of Commerce -- Bush Administration Secretary: Carlos Gutierrez**


 * The Department of Labor -- Bush Administration Secretary: Elaine Chao**


 * The Department of State -- Bush Administration Secretary: Condoleezza Rice**

For more information on any of the departments, visit this site. Departments in the Executive Branch.