What's In the Cabinet?

A little dash of history...

• Originally, the executive branch was purposefully made as a weak branch through the Articles of Confederation.
• Realizing the Articles were inadequate, the Founding Fathers met to revise the document.
• Ultimately, the Articles were discarded and the Constitution was created in its place.

In Article II of the Constitution, specific executive powers and responsibiilities are outlined.

The Executive Branch works to execute the laws of the country through many forms, including the President's Cabinet.

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• The first cabinet, established by Washington, had four different departments.
• Today, the Cabinet has 15!
• Although not specifically mentioned, the power to establish a cabinet is an example of an inherent power.

Now, let's look at one department in particular!

The Department of State, currently headed by Secretary John Kerry, primarily works to build foreign relations through diplomacy.

The Department's History

• Originally created in 1789, the Department was known as the Department of Foreign Affairs.
• This makes the Department of State the oldest of all the cabinet agencies.

Under Secretary Kerry, the Department of State has over 40 agencies, including the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism and Global Health Diplomacy.

Among its responsibilities, the Department participates in diplomacy, international security, economic affairs, and developement in emerging countries.

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The Department's Budget

• As seen in the graphic, the budget for the Department of State has increased dramatically.
• Notice the difference in budget allocation between President George W. Bush's 1st and 2nd term
• This is probably a result of terrorism attacks against America in 2001.

Current Programs

World Education Forum

• The forum, held in South Korea, is introducing a platform to encourage education throughout the world.
• The platform suggests a method for creating educational benchmarks for countries to meet.
• In addition to the Department of State, the USAID and the Departments of Agriculture and Education are also present.

In the News

4th Annual Campaign Launched

• Campaign is meant to inform people around the world about the fundamental right to free speech
• Each day, the Department features a censored reporter or media
• The major agency involved is the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor