Transcript The President’s Cabinet

The President’s Cabinet
George Washington, Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Edmund Randolph
What is a cabinet?
• A group of department heads and top officials that
give the President advice on policy matters. The
cabinet includes 15 secretaries (department heads)
of the 15 major executive departments, the vice
president, and other top officials.
• Cabinet secretaries are responsible for huge
departments that employ thousands of people and
spend billions of dollars.
Qualifications
• Expertise in the department they are
heading/managing.
• Appointees must be acceptable to all groups
with political power.
• They should provide geographic balance, as
well as racial and gender representation.
• Party loyalty is also important.
• College background
Nomination and Confirmation
• The selection process begins before
Inauguration Day.
• The President-elect creates a list of potential
candidates after consulting with other
leaders.
• Names are “leaked” to the media.
• The Senate holds confirmation hearings to
ask questions about background and views.
“I have gathered you together to hear what I
have written down. I do not wish your advice
about the main matter. That I have determined
for myself.”
~Abraham Lincoln, 1862
President Obama’s Cabinet
Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
• Deals with foreign
affairs.
• U.S. Senator (NY)
from 2001-2009, 2008
Presidential
candidate,former First
Lady.
• Graduate of Yale Law
School, 1973.
Secretary of the Treasury
Timothy Geithner
• Concerned with finance
and monetary matters and
is the principle economic
advisor to the President.
• Financial assistant in U.S.
embassy in Tokyo.
• Previously president of the
federal Reserve Bank of
New York.
• M.A. in international
economics and East Asian
studies from John
Hopkins University, 1985.
Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta
• Principle defense policy
advisor to the President.
• Army intelligence officer
(1964-1966), U.S. Chief
of Staff 1994-1997,
member of the CIA from
2009-2011, director of the
Office of Management
and Budget
• Juris Doctorate, Santa
Clara University, 1963.
Attorney General
Eric Holder
• The chief law enforcement
officer and lawyer of the
U.S. government.
• Former judge of the
Superior Court of D.C.,
U.S. Attorney, Deputy
Attorney General of the
U.S., advisor to Senator
Obama.
• Juris Doctorate, Columbia
University, 1976.
Secretary of the Interior
Ken Salazar
• Responsible for the
management and
conservation of federal
land and programs related
to Native Americans.
• Former Attorney General
of Colorado, U.S. Senator
(2004-2009, first Hispanic
Senator since 1977).
• Juris Doctorate,
University of Michigan
Law School, 1981.
Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack
• Responsible for policy on
farming, agriculture, and
food. Addresses farmers
needs, trade, food safety,
natural resources, and
hunger.
• Former Governor of Iowa
(1998-2006), 2008
Presidential candidate.
• Juris Doctorate, Albany
Law School, 1975.
Secretary of Commerce
Gary Locke
• Concerned with promoting
economic growth (job
creation).
• U.S. Representative
(1982-1993), former
Governor of Washington
(1997-2005, first and only
Chinese-Am. Governor),
Eagle Scout.
• Law Degree, Boston
University School of Law,
1975.
Secretary of Labor
Hilda Solis
• Responsible for occupational
safety, wage and hour
standards, unemployment
insurance benefits, reemployment services, and
economic statistics.
• U.S. Representative (20012009), first Hispanic woman
to serve in the cabinet.
• Master of Public
Administration, University
of Southern California,
1981.
Secretary of Health and Human
Services
Kathleen Sebelius
• Concerned with health,
income security, and
welfare.
• U.S. Rep. (1986-1994),
State Insurance
Commissioner, (Governor
of Kansas (2003-2009).
• Master of Public
Administration, University
of Kansas, 1974.
Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development
Shaun Donovan
• Develops policy on
housing and cities.
• Head of NYC Department
of housing Preservation
and Development, Federal
Housing Administration
commissioner.
• Master of Public
Administration, John F.
Kennedy School of
Government, Masters in
Architecture, Graduate
School of Design, 1995.
Secretary of Transportation
Ray LaHood
• Ensuring a fast, safe,
efficient, accessible, and
convenient transportation
system that meets needs
and enhances the quality
of life.
• U.S. Rep. (1982-1983),
House Transportation
Committee.
• B.A. in Education,
Bradley University.
Secretary of Energy
Steven Chu
• Concerned with policies
regarding energy and
safety in handling nuclear
material.
• Scientist, Nobel Peace
Prize in Physics (1997),
Professor (University of
California), advocate of
alternative energy.
• Doctorate in Physics,
University of California,
1976.
Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan
• Creating programs to
generate funds for
education and ensuring
safety. (NCLB, 2001)
• Former CEO of Chicago
Public Schools,
Psychology Professor
(University of Chicago),
tutoring students in
centers, professional
basketball player (19871991, Australia).
• BA in Sociology, Harvard,
1987.
Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs
Eric Shinseki
• Responsible for
administering programs of
benefits for veterans, their
families, and survivors.
Benefits include disability
compensation, pension,
education, loans, life
insurance, rehab, medical,
and burial.
• Retired U.S. Army four-star
General, Vietnam veteran.
• Master of Arts Degree in
English Literature, Duke
University, Graduate of
West Point, 1965.
Secretary of Homeland Security
Janet Napolitano
• Responsibility of
protecting the territory of
the U.S. from terrorist
attacks and responding to
natural disasters.
• Former Governor of
Arizona (2003-2009),
Arizona Attorney General
(1999-2000).
• Juris Doctorate,
University of Virginia
School of Law.