The Presidential Cabinet Members and Departments
As time passed the number of members and their roles increased. The Presidential Cabinet now includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments of the US Government. The Vice President of the United States is the second highest public office created by the US Constitution and is the first person in the presidential line of succession. The Attorney General and the 14 Cabinet members from the executive departments are nominated by the President. The Presidential Cabinet Members have to be approved by the Senate by a majority (51 votes). The current 15 Cabinet members of the fifteen executive departments of the US Government are ranked in order according to the United States presidential line of succession: | Cabinet Members & Departments | Date Post Created | Role or Definition of Cabinet Departments |  | Secretary of State | 1789 | Definition: Responsible for foreign affairs | | Secretary of the Treasury | 1789 | Definition: Responsible for finances, tax and printing money | | Secretary of Defense | 1947 | Definition: Responsible for military forces | | Attorney General | 1789 | Definition: Responsible for giving legal advice to the government | | Secretary of the Interior | 1849 | Definition: Land, natural resources and territorial matters | | Secretary of Agriculture | 1889 | Definition: Responsible for agricultural economy and the farmers | | Secretary of Commerce | 1913 | Definition: Responsible for foreign and domestic trade | | Secretary of Labor | 1913 | Definition: Responsible for working conditions | | Secretary of Health and Human Services | 1953 | Definition: Responsible for health, safety and low income families | | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | 1966 | Definition: Responsible for developing and improving communities | | Secretary of Transportation | 1966 | Definition: Responsible for national transportation programs | | Secretary of Energy | 1977 | Definition: Responsible for energy systems | | Secretary of Education | 1979 | Definition: Responsible for meeting educational needs | | Secretary of Veterans Affairs | 1989 | Definition: Responsible for veterans and their families | | Secretary of Homeland Security | 2002 | Definition: Responsible for preventing terrorist attacks | | Cabinet Members & Departments | Date Post Created | Role & Definition of Cabinet Departments |
The Presidential Cabinet and the Constitution
The United States constitution does not provide for the cabinet. The term 'cabinet' is not referred to by name in the Constitution but as the "Principal officers in each of the executive departments" in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution. |
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| The Presidential Cabinet of George Washington The Presidential Cabinet: George Washington was the 1st president of the US from 1789 until 1797. The name of his Vice President was John Adams (1789-97). The names of the men who held the position of Secretary of State were John Jay (1789-90), Thomas Jefferson (1790-93), Edmund Randolph (1794-95) and Timothy Pickering (1795-97) |
| The Presidential Cabinet: John Adams was the 1st Vice president and the 2nd president of the US from 1797 to 1801. The name of his Vice President was Thomas Jefferson (1797-1801). The names of the men who held the position of Secretary of State were Timothy Pickering (1797-1800) and John Marshall (1800-01) |
| The Presidential Cabinet: Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd president of the US from 1801 to 1809. The name of his Vice Presidents were Aaron Burr (1801-05) and George Clinton (1805-09). The name of his Secretary of State was James Madison (1801-1809) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: James Madison was the 4th president of the US from 1809 to 1817. The name of his Vice Presidents were George Clinton (1809-12) and Elbridge Gerry (1813-14). The names of the men who held the position of Secretary of State were Robert Smith (1809-11) and James Monroe (1811-17). |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: James Monroe was the 5th president of the US from 1817 to 1825. The name of his Vice President was Daniel D. Tompkins (1817-1825). The name of his Secretary of State was John Quincy Adams (1817-25). |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: John Quincy Adams was the 6th president of the US from 1825 to 1829. The name of his Vice President was John C. Calhoun (1825-29). The name of his Secretary of State was Henry Clay (1825-1829) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the US from 1829 to 1837. The name of his Vice Presidents were John C. Calhoun (1829-1832) and Martin Van Buren (1833-1837). The names of the men who held the position of Secretary of State were Martin Van Buren (1829-31), Edward Livingston (1831-33), Louis McLane (1833-34) and John Forsyth (1834-37) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: Martin Van Buren was the 8th president of the US from 1837 to 1841. The name of his Vice President was Richard M. Johnson (1837-41). The name of his Secretary of State was John Forsyth (1837-41). |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: William Harrison was the 9th president of the US. The name of his Vice President was John Tyler (1841). The name of his Secretary of State was Daniel Webster (1841). |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: John Tyler was the 10th president of the US from 1841 to 1845. This president did not appoint a Vice President. The names of the men who held the position of Secretary of State were Daniel Webster (1841-43), Abel P. Upshur (1843-44) and John C. Calhoun (1844-45) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the US from 1845 to 1849. The name of his Vice President was George M. Dallas (1845-1849). The name of his Secretary of State was James Buchanan (1845-1849) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: Zachary Taylor was the 12th president of the US from 1849 to 1850. The name of his Vice President was Millard Fillmore (1849-50). The name of his Secretary of State was John M. Clayton (1849-50) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: Millard Fillmore was the 13th president of the US from 1850 to 1853. This president did not appoint a Vice President. The names of the men who held the position of Secretary of State were John M. Clayton (1850), Daniel Webster (1850-52) and Edward Everett (1852-53) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: Franklin Pierce was the 14th president of the US. Franklin Pierce from 1853 to 1857. The name of his Vice President was William R. King (1853-57). The name of his Secretary of State was William L. Marcy (1853-57) |
 | The Presidential Cabinet: James Buchanan was the 15th president of the US from 1857 to 1861. The name of his Vice President was John C. Breckinridge (1857-61). The names of the men who held the position of Secretary of State were Lewis Cass (1857-60) and Jeremiah S. Black (1860-61) |
