The 15 Executive Departments

Department of State

established in 1789

-Advises President on foreign policy

-Negotiates agreements with foreign countries

-Represents the United States abroad and in international organizations

-Foreign service, Regional Bureaus, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Bureau of Consular Affairs(office of passport services), Bureau of Diplomatic Security

Department of Treasury

established in 1789

-Produces coins and bills

-collects taxes

-Borrows money and manages public debt

-Enforces alcohol, tobacco, and firearms laws

-Internal Revenue Service, Bureau of the Public Debt, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, United States Mint, Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Department of Defense

established in 1789

-Provides military forces to deter war and protect the nation's security

-Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force

Department of Justice

established in 1870

-Prosecutes those accused of violating federal law

-Provides legal advice to President

-Represents United Sates in court

-Enforces federal laws

-Operates federal prisons

-Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions, Criminal Division, Bureau of Prisons

Department of Interior

established in1849

-Manages public lands, wildlife refuges, and national parks

-Operates hydroelectric power plants

-Helps Native Americans manager their affairs

-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation

Department of Agriculture

established in 1889

-Manages national forests

-Inspects food

-Assists farmers and ranchers

-Administers food stamp and school lunch programs

-Agricultural Research Service, Food and Nutrition Service, Food Safety and inspection Service, Farm Service Agency, Forest Service, Rural Utilities Service

Department of Commerce

established 1903

-Conducts census

-Grants patents and registers trademarks

-Promotes international trade, economic growth, and technological development

-Bureau if the Census, Patent of Trademark Office, International Trade Administration, Economic Development Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Minority Business Development Agency

Department of Labor

established in 1913

-Enforces federal laws on minimum wages, maximum hours, and safe working conditions

-Operates job training programs

-Administers unemployment insurance and workers' compensation programs

-Employment Standards Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Employment and Training Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, Women's Bureau

Department of Health and Human Services

established in 1953

-Funds health care research programs

-Conducts programs to prevent and control disease

-Enforces pure food and drug laws

-Administers Medicare and Medicaid

-Administration for Children and Families, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Care Financing Administration

Department of Housing and Urban Development

established in 1965

-Operates home-financing and public housing programs

-Enforces fair housing laws

-Office of Housing, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Government National Mortgage Association

Department of Transportation

established in 1967

-Administers programs to promote and regulate highways, mass transit, railroads, waterways, air travel, and oil and gas pipelines

-Federal Highway Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Maritime Administration, Federal Railroad Administration

Department of Energy

established in 1977

-Promotes production of renewable energy, fossil fuels, and nuclear energy

-Transmits and sells hydroelectric power

-Conducts nuclear weapons research and production

-Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, Regional Power Administration, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

Department of Education

established in 1979

-Administers federal aid to schools

-Conducts educational Research

-Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement

Department of Veterans Affairs

established in 1988

-Administers benefits, pensions, and medical programs for veterans of the armed forces

-Oversees military cemeteries

-Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration, National Cemetery Administration

Department of Homeland Security

established in 2002

-border and transportation security

-Emergency preparedness and response

-Chemical, Biological, radiological, nuclear defense

-Information analysis and infrastructure protection

-Coast Guard, Secret Service, Bureau of Citizenship and immigration services, Bureau of immigration and customs enforcement, Transportation Security Administration