The United States Cabinet was established by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution. It is usually referred as the ‘President’s Cabinet’ or just the ‘Cabinet.’ The Cabinet is an advisory body and its role is to advise the President on any subject that he may require. The Cabinet consists of the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments. These departs are the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, along with the Attorney General.
Members of the Cabinet are nominated by the President and appointed upon confirmation by the Senate with a simple majority. All members of the Cabinet, except the head of the Justice Department are known by the title ‘Secretary.’ The head of the Justice Department is known as the ‘Attorney General.’
In addition to running major federal agencies, the Cabinet plays an important role in the Presidential line of succession. After the Vice President comes the Speaker of the House and Senate President pro tempore, and then the line of succession continues with the Cabinet offices in the order in which the Departments were created.