Executive Departments and
the Cabinet
Section 6.3
Executive Departments and the
Cabinet
 During
the ________ early years, presidents
carried out their ________ _______ with
the help of a few assistants
 Today there are _________ of people who
assist the president
Executive Office of the President

President’s closet advisers and aides are part of
the Executive Office of the President
– The ________ and offices that make up the Executive
office advise the president on _______ issues, including
important domestic and ___________ matters



The Council of Economic Advisers gives the president
information about the nation’s economy
Office of ____________ and Budget prepares the federal
budget or plan of income and spending
The National _________ Council is the president’s top ranking
group of advisers on all matters concerning defense and
security
1
Executive Departments/The Cabinet




There are 14 executive
departments in the federal
government
Each department has
specific areas of
responsibility
_________ has the power
to establish executive
departments
________ has a great deal
of influence on changes to
the executive departments



The heads of the executive
departments have become
known as the president’s
_________
The cabinet consists of the
heads of the 14 executive
departments and any other
officials the president
chooses
The title of most of the
cabinet members is
_________
Department of State

Foreign policy is the special responsibility of the
__________ ___ _________
– Ambassadors are the highest-ranking U.S. representatives in
foreign countries
– The official __________ and offices of an ambassador is called the
embassy
– Few ________ countries have ministers who rank below
ambassadors

The Department of State also issues _________ and visas
– Passports are formal documents that allow U.S. citizens to travel
abroad
– Visas allow ___________ to come to the United States
Cabinet Video

Take Notes
2
Department of the Treasury



The Department of the Treasury manages the
country’s ________
It collects taxes and pays out the money owed by
the ________ government
There are several divisions of the Department of
Treasury
– The Internal Revenue Services collects _________ and
corporate income taxes
– The Secret Services _______ the president and helps
prevent counterfeiting or making or distributing of
______ money
Department of Defense
 The Department of Defense consists of the army, navy, and air force
 The head is the secretary of defense
– He is a civilian or nonmilitary person
 The Department of the _______ commands land forces
 The Department of the Navy commands __________ forces
– Includes the U.S. _______ Corp
 The Department of the Air Force is responsible for ______ defense
 The highest ranking military officers of the army, navy, and air force
form the Joint ________ of Staff
– This group has the responsibility of advising the president on military
affairs
Other Departments

Department of ________
– Led by the attorney general, they enforce federal laws
– They also ________ the United States in court when a
lawsuit is brought against the federal government

Department of the ________
– They manage the nation’s natural resources
– Encourage the wise use of U.S. land, ________, water,
fish, and wildlife

Department of __________
– They help farmers in raising and marketing crops
3
Other Departments
 Department
of __________
– They encourage American trade and business
 Department
of _________
– They gather information on working conditions
in various businesses and industries
Minor Executive Departments

Health and ________ Services
– Runs programs to promote the ________ and well-
being of all citizens

Housing and ________ Development

Transportation
– Seek to improve the housing conditions in U.S. cities
– Help _________ and develop the country’s ground,
water, and air transportation __________

__________
– Help plan and manage U.S. energy policy
Minor Executive Departments
 __________
– Provides advice and information to the
country’s school systems
 Veterans
Affairs
– Responsible for administering government
benefits to U.S. ________ and their families
4
Independent Agencies and
Regulatory Commissions
Section 6.4
Independent Agencies and
Regulatory Commissions
 Congress
has set up a number of
__________ agencies
– These agencies help the president carry out the
duties of office
– They perform __________ duties that often do
not fit into any regular department
– They are __________ from the executive
departments
Independent Agencies
 There
are more than 65 independent
agencies
 Each was created by _________ to perform
a ________ job
– The U.S. Commission on _______ Rights
collects information about discrimination
– _________ runs the space program
5
Regulatory Commissions
 Some
__________ agencies have the power
to make and bring violators to ______ these
are regulatory commission
– There decisions often have the force of law
– The Federal _________ Commission enforces
federal election laws
– __________ Product Safety Commission sets
and enforces safety standards for consumer
products
Who Runs the Regulatory
Commissions
 The
Regulatory commissions are
independent so they have the ________ to
do their job
 Heads are _______ by the president and
approved by Senate
– Some feel this _____________ gives them to
much power
– Over regulate and interfere in our lives to much
The Federal Bureaucracy
 The
departments and agencies in the
executive branch of the government form
the ________ bureaucracy
 The bureaucracy has many rules and
__________ for carrying out a wide range
of activities
– Almost 3 ________ people work in the
bureaucracy
6
6596_GRS_CH06 4/18/02 3:43 PM Page 19
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CHAPTER
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6
Date
Guided Reading Strategies 6.3
The Executive Branch
READING THE SECTION As you read the section, decide whether the following statements are true or false. Write a T in front of the true statements and an F in front of the
false statements in the space provided.
______ 1. The National Security Council advises in matters concerning the environment and water safety.
______ 2. The secretary of state assists and advises the president in foreign affairs and
foreign policy.
______ 3. The head of the Department of Justice is the secretary of justice.
______ 4. Visas allow U.S. citizens to travel to foreign countries.
______ 5. Consuls represent the United States concerning trade and commerce in
foreign countries.
______ 6. The Joint Chiefs of Staff include the highest ranking officers of the army,
navy, and air force.
______ 7. The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are two
divisions within the Department of the Interior.
______ 8. The National School Lunch Program and Food Stamps are managed by
divisions within the Department of Agriculture.
______ 9. The Census Bureau, which counts U.S. population every decade, is part of the
Department of Labor.
______10. Education loans to veterans are administered through the Department of
Education.
POST-READING QUICK CHECK After reading the section, write the word or words that
would make the false statements above true. Write the number of the false statement with
the correction(s).
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
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Holt Civics
19
Guided Reading Strategies
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CHAPTER
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6
Date
Guided Reading Strategies 6.4
The Executive Branch
READING THE SECTION As you read the section, write the job or duty of each of the
following independent agencies or regulatory commissions in the space provided.
1. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights __________________________________________
2. Farm Credit Administration _____________________________________________
3. Small Business Administration ___________________________________________
4. National Aeronautics and Space Administration ______________________________
5. Office of Personnel Management _________________________________________
6. General Services Administration __________________________________________
7. Federal Election Commission ____________________________________________
8. Consumer Product Safety Commission ____________________________________
9. Securities and Exchange Commission ______________________________________
10. National Labor Relations Board __________________________________________
POST-READING QUICK CHECK After reading the section, fill in the blanks with the
correct answers to complete each statement.
1. The
appoints the heads of the regulatory commissions.
2. Appointments to the regulatory commissions must be approved by the
.
3. About three million people work in the federal
performs the day-to-day work of the executive branch.
4. The more than 65 independent agencies that
assist the president in carrying out his duties.
, which
created
5. Independent agencies that bring violators to court are called
.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Holt Civics
20
Guided Reading Strategies
CIV 2.3: The Executive Branch
CIVICS - Cornwell
THE FOLLOWING LIST IS ALL OF THE CABINET LEVEL DEPARTMENTS IN THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. NAME THEM AND THEN MATCH THEM WITH THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY
1. Department of ..........
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
S_A_E
T_E_S__Y
J_S_I_E
The I _ T _ R _ _ R
A_R_C___U_E
C _ M _ _ _R _ E
L___R
D__EN_E
H _ _ L _ _H and H U _ A _ S _ R _ I C _ S
H _ U _ I _ G and U R _ A _ D _ _ E L _ _ M _ N T
T_A__P_R__TI_N
E__R_Y
E_UC__I_N
V_T_R_NS A_F_I_S
H__EL_N_ S_C__I_Y
2. Match the Departments with their responsibilities by placing the letter in the corresponding blank.
_____ 1. Medical and disability benefits, pensions and death benefits, and home loans to soldiers who served in
the armed forces.
_____ 2. Publishes employment information.
_____ 3. Manages Food Stamp and School Lunch programs.
_____ 4. Controls public lands and maintains public parks.
_____ 5. Prints, coins, and issues money and collects taxes.
_____ 6. Sets guidelines for granting financial aid to schools.
_____ 7. Supervises federal-aid highway program.
_____ 8. Sees that foods and medicines are safe.
_____ 9. Maintains US armed forces.
_____ 10. Conducts foreign relations, protects US citizens abroad, and issues passports and visas.
_____ 11. Investigates violations of federal laws.
_____ 12. Sets standards for weights and measures and encourages and regulates foreign trade
_____ 13. Helps cities plan traffic control and plan mass transit systems.
_____ 14. Promotes conservation of energy and regulates resources.
6767_HRW_CIV-CEA 6/7/02 7:32 PM Page 6
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CHALLENGE AND
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY
Class
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
C
HAPTER
6
Identifying the President’s Cabinet
Cabinet members help the president run the executive branch of the federal government. Fill in the following chart to identify the people who are members of the
Cabinet today. You may want to use newspapers, magazines, or a current almanac
to obtain their names.
Head of Department
Name of Cabinet Member
1. Secretary of State
2. Secretary of the Treasury
3. Secretary of Defense
4. Attorney General
5. Secretary of the Interior
6. Secretary of Agriculture
8. Secretary of Labor
9. Secretary of Health and Human Services
10. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
11. Secretary of Transportation
12. Secretary of Energy
13. Secretary of Education
14. Secretary of Veterans Affairs
6
CHAPTER 6 • CHALLENGE AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
7. Secretary of Commerce