Who Makes Up the President’s Cabinet and What are the Responsibilities of Each Member?

By Wyatt Nordvik
Published: August 15, 2025
Last updated: August 15, 2025
Cabinet room
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Established in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the Cabinet is comprised of the appointed and U.S. Senate-confirmed heads of 15 Executive departments and six other Executive agencies, the Vice President, and, in practice, the White House Chief of Staff. The President can appoint someone to temporarily fill any vacant Cabinet position when no appointee has yet been confirmed by the Senate.

Currently, the 15 heads of Executive departments are:

  • Secretary of Agriculture
  • Secretary of Commerce
  • Secretary of Defense
  • Secretary of Education
  • Secretary of Energy
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Secretary of the Interior
  • Attorney General (Department of Justice)
  • Secretary of Labor
  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of Transportation
  • Secretary of the Treasury
  • Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The six Executive Agencies appointments include:

  • Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
  • Administrator of the Small Business Administration
  • Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
  • Director of National Intelligence
  • Director of the Office of Management and Budget
  • U. S. Trade Representative

The Cabinet does not retain its own authority but rather is an advisory body to the President. The President has the power to dismiss any of the appointments at his or her discretion. Each member brings the perspective of their represented department or agency, ideally offering information needed to make decisions of governance.

How well do you know the current Cabinet members?

Match the 21 Cabinet positions listed above to the following list of appointees.

  • Scott Bessent
  • Pam Bondi
  • Doug Burgum
  • Lori Chavez-DeRemer
  • Doug Collins
  • Sean Duffy
  • Tulsi Gabbard
  • Jamison Greer
  • Pete Hegseth
  • Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
  • Kely Loeffler
  • Howard Lutnick
  • Linda McMahon
  • Kristi Noem
  • John Ratcliffe
  • Brooke Rollins
  • Marco Rubio
  • Scott Turner
  • Russ Vought
  • Chris Wright
  • Lee Zeldin

Take Action

  1. Read the section in Government Information Tab on Engage Tuolumne website: “The U.S Cabinet and Executive Agencies and their Responsibilities.”
  2. Take the quiz.

NOTES

  1. “The Cabinet,” The White House, 2025.