CHAPTER XIV

The President's Cabinet

"The Nation's greatness [success] lies in men, not acres."

-Abraham Lincoln.

The President must have help. He must see that thousands of laws are enforced. He cannot do the job by himself.

Many important people want to see the President about different matters. But he does not have time to see all of them. He receives thousands of letters every week. They must be answered. The representatives of the President in foreign countries send in reports every month. He must know what is in them. We may well ask: "Who helps the President?"

THE CABINET

The Fathers of the Constitution did not say in so many words that the President should have a Cabinet to help him. But they understood that there would be a Cabinet. The First Cabinet had four members.

The Nation has grown. The needs of the people have changed. Thus, the Congress has set up new Departments to advise and to help the President. There are now 11 Executive Departments. Each is controlled by a Secretary. These Secretaries make up the Cabinet or "official family."

If the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and President pro tempore of the Senate should die, one of the Cabinet Members would become President. The law says that the Secretaries shall

become President, if constitutionally qualified, in the order in which they are named in the law.*

The members of the Cabinet are appointed by the President and the Senate usually approves the President's choice of members of his Cabinet. He has to work with them from day to day. He knows best the men that he wants for the positions.

The Cabinet meets with the President at his request, as often as necessary. The President often sees one member alone in order that they may talk over some special subject.

Each Agency in the Cabinet has many people who help to carry on its work. We shall study the work of the 11 Departments.

THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE

If any one Department is more important than another, it is the Department of State. It is one of the old Departments. The Secretary of State is its Head. Under the law relating to succession to the Presidency if the President should die, the Secretary of State would be the first of the members of the Cabinet who might become President.

The Department of State is the long arm of the Government. It has hundreds of representatives in foreign countries. It is in charge of the foreign interests of the United States. It could well be called the "Department of Foreign Relations."

One of its chief duties is to keep the United States on good terms with other nations. Its representatives prepare reports to the President. They often help in making treaties. Representatives in foreign countries study and report on trade conditions. One of their jobs is to help our businessmen. But, under the law, they have other duties. They meet and talk with citizens of

*See Figure 11 on page 105.

foreign countries who want to come to the United States. They give them the right kinds of permits (visas). A citizen of the United States who wants to live or travel in a foreign country must first learn whether the Government objects. He must tell the Department of State where and why he wants to go. He must get a permit or passport before he can go into a foreign country.

The Department of State has charge of the Great Seal of the United States. The law commands that the Great Seal be placed on many of the President's orders and other public papers. (See Figure 17, page 165.)

In addition to these tasks, the State Department prints all treaties between the United States and foreign governments, and certain other official papers.

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

This Department is the largest bank and bookkeeper in the world. It looks after the money matters of the Federal Government. It collects taxes. It borrows money as directed by the Congress. It is in charge of the money of the United States. It gives directions for paying all of the bills and debts of the Nation. It coins metal money and prints paper money, bonds, and stamps. It keeps a record of all of them.

There are special officers in this Department who look for people who coin or print money (counterfeiters). It helps to prevent goods, on which the taxes have not been paid, from being brought secretly into this country.

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

The Department of Defense is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a member of the President's Cabinet. The Department of Defense is made up of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force. It is responsible for all matters having to do with the national defense.

Each of the three Departments is headed by a Secretary who is responsible for matters dealing with the national security in his own field. They get and train officers and enlisted personnel; provide necessary equipment; and supervise the building and maintenance of forts, camps, naval bases and yards, warships, airplanes and bases, and the care and improvement of rivers, harbors, and canals.

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

This Department helps the President to enforce the laws against crime. It protects the rights of the people of the United States under the law. The Immigration and Naturalization Service is in this Department.

The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice. He directs the work of its officers before the Federal Courts. He can appear before any of these courts to protect any interest of the people of the United States that may come before the court. The prisons of the Federal Government are under his control. He advises the President and the other Department Heads when they ask for it. But the most important work of this Department is to help punish people who break the laws of the United States.

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

The Department of the Interior controls the public lands of the United States, as directed by law. It studies. the supply of the products of the earth, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. It studies new ways to keep them for future use. This Department also studies the causes of accidents in mines. It plans ways to prevent the waste of our forests and minerals.

The Department of the Interior plans ways by which water may be brought from the mountains and rivers to dry lands of the Nation. It enforces the laws of the Congress that control the Nation's fish and wild animals.