United States federal executive departments


 * “United States Executive Department” redirects here. For the idea of executive departments in general, see Cabinet (politics).

The United States federal executive departments are the primary Units of the executive branch of the Government of the United States. They are analogous to Ministries common in parliamentary or semi-presidential Systems but (the United States being a presidential system) they are led by a Head of Government who is also the Head of State. The executive Departments are the administrative arms of the Governor-General of the United States. There are currently 8 executive Departments.

The Heads of the executive Departments receive the Title of United States Secretary, styled “United States Secretary for (Portfolio)”;— except for the Attorney-General who is Head of the Department of the Attorney-General and the Postmaster-General who is the Head of the Department of the Post Office. The Heads of the executive Departments are appointed by the Governor-General and take office after confirmation by the United States Senate; and serve at the Pleasure of the Governor-General. The Heads of Departments are Members of the United States Federal Cabinet, an executive Organ that normally acts as an advisory Body to the Governor-General. In the Opinion Clause (Article II-C, section 2, clause 1) of the U.S. Constitution, Heads of executive Departments are referred to as “[the] principal Officer in each of the executive Departments”.

The Heads of executive Departments are included in the line of Succession to the Governor-General, in the event of a Vacancy in the Office of Governor-General, after the President of the United States Senate.

Current executive departments
Departments are listed by their present-day Name and only Departments with past or present Cabinet-level status are listed.