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Get to Know Your Government

Executive Branch

• The President

• The Cabinet

• Order of Succession

• Our Past Presidents

Legislative Branch

• The Senate

• The House of Representatives

Judicial Branch

• Meet the Supreme Court Justices

The Cabinet

The government of the United States of America is divided into three branches to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power.


	Secretary of State Colin L. Powell Department of State (1789) Works with other countries.

	Secretary of the Treasury Paul H. O'Neill Department of the Treasury (1789) Works with other countries.

	Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld Department of Defense (1947) Oversees the armed forces.

	Attorney General John Ashcroft Department of Justice (1870) Enforces the U.S. Government's laws.

	Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton Department of the Interior (1849) Protects natural resources and wildlife.

	Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman Department of Agriculture (1862) Ensures a healthy food supply and provides support for farmers.

	Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans Department of Commerce (1903) Promotes business and job opportunities for all Americans, responsible for all copyrights, patents, and trademarks; and oversees matters related to oceans, weather, and technology.

	Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Department of Labor (1913) Oversees the interests of U.S. workers.

	Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson Department of Health and Human Services (1953) Looks after people's health and provides services including conducting medical research, preventing diseases, assuring the safety of food and drugs; providing financial assistance for low income families.

	Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez Department of Housing and Urban Development (1965) Oversees housing needs, and focuses on improving and developing communities.

	Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta Department of Transportation (1966) Oversees the nation's transportation system including highways, railroads, ports, and air travel.

	Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham Department of Energy (1977) Researches and develops energy systems that are friendly to the environment, but are not too expensive.

	Secretary of Education Rod Paige Department of Education (1979) Establishes guidelines and provides leadership to address American education. It helps local communities meet the needs of their students.

	Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi Department of Veterans Affairs (1988) Operates programs for veterans and their families.