The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) develops and implements policy on farming, agriculture, food, and related topics. Those topics include:
| Animal health and management | Appropriate and effective biotechnology | Broadband connectivity | Climate change | Conservation for thriving and sustainable agriculture |
| Coronavirus | Data (Economic Research Service; Foreign Agricultural Service; and National Agricultural Statistics Service) | Disaster preparedness, recovery, and resilience | Farming | Food and Nutrition assistance, a safe, sufficient, nutritious, and secure food supply |
| Forestry/Agroforestry | Health and Safety, ensuring the safety and quality of our nation's meat; poultry and egg supply | Invasive Species | Opioid Misuse in Rural America | Organic production resources |
| Plant breeding, monitoring, and control strategies | Recreation resources Urban Agriculture |
Agricultural Research for a safe and abundant food supply | Rural Development resources and support | Trade, expanding and maintaining foreign and domestic markets for American farmers; ranchers and agribusinesses |
The USDA employs nearly 100,000 people and has an annual budget of approximately $150 billion. It consists of 15 agencies, including the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Food and Nutrition Service, and the Forest Service. Most of the departmental budget goes towards mandated programs such as nutrition assistance, promoting agricultural exports, and conserving our environment. The USDA also plays an important role in overseas aid programs by providing surplus foods to developing countries.
The Department of Commerce’s mission is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities. Through its 13 bureaus, the Department supports U.S. economic competitiveness, strengthens domestic industry, and spurs the growth of quality jobs in all communities across the country. The Department serves as the voice of business in the Federal Government. The Department supports innovation and invention that enables the U.S. comparative advantage in world trade. Department of Commerce scientists research emerging technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Companies use NIST and NTIA laboratories to conduct research and development (R&D). NOAA advances R&D of the commercial space industry and climate science. USPTO’s intellectual property (IP) protections ensure American innovators benefit from their work. Some of the issues that the Department of Commerce works on are:
The mission of the Department of Defense (DoD) is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of the United States of America. The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard, are the armed forces of the United States. The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under State authority. The Defense Department has 11 combatant commands, each with a geographic or functional mission that provides command and control of military forces in peace and war.
The DoD consists of many departments, agencies, offices, and commands, many of their websites are in this list of most commonly used websites, there is also a much more complete list of DoD websites here (including Social Media sites), and an A-Z list of DoD websites is here. The DoD also provides a number of resources for Service Members and their families, Veterans, the public, information about military ranks and insignia, and other resources. News stories and other information from the DoD are available at this link.
The DoD is the largest government agency, with more than 1.4 million men and women on active duty, more than 700,000 civilian personnel, and 1.1 million citizens who serve in the national guard and reserve forces.
The mission of the Department of Education is to promote student learning and preparation for college, careers, and citizenship in a global economy by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access to educational opportunity.
The Department administers federal financial aid for higher education (Loans, Grants), oversees educational programs and civil rights laws that promote equity in student learning opportunities, collects data and sponsors research on America’s schools to guide improvements in education quality, and works to complement the efforts of state and local governments, parents, and students.
The U.S. Secretary of Education oversees the department’s 4,200 employees and $68.6 billion budget.
The mission of the Department of Energy (DoE) is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.
The DoE administers Federal funding for scientific research to further the goal of discovery and innovation — ensuring economic competitiveness and improving the quality of life for Americans. The DoE is also tasked with ensuring America’s nuclear security, and with protecting the environment by providing responsible resolutions to the legacy of nuclear weapons production.
The United States Secretary of Energy oversees a budget of approximately $23 billion and more than 100,000 federal and contract employees.
| DoE Newsroom | DoE Offices | National Laboratories | Building America's Clean Energy Future |
Department of Health and Human Services
The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services. Agencies of HHS conduct health and social science research, work to prevent disease outbreaks, assure food and drug safety, and provide health insurance.
In addition to administering Medicare and Medicaid, which provide health coverage to one in four Americans, HHS also oversees the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services oversees a budget of approximately $700 billion and approximately 65,000 employees. The department’s programs are administered by 13 operating divisions, including eight agencies in the U.S. public health service, two human services agencies, and the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services.
Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) protects the American people from a wide range of foreign and domestic threats. DHS has a diverse mission, including to prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks, protect critical infrastructure and civilian computer networks, facilitate lawful trade and travel, respond to and recover from natural disasters, protect our borders, and regulate the migration of individuals to and from our country.
The third largest Cabinet Department, DHS employs more than 250,000 people and its $58 billion annual budget supports more than 20 components, including the U.S. Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Some more DHS links:
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Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the Federal Agency responsible for national policies and programs that address America’s housing needs, improve and develop the nation’s communities, and enforce fair housing laws. The Department plays a major role in supporting homeownership for low- and moderate-income families through its mortgage insurance and rent subsidy programs.
Offices within HUD include the Federal Housing Administration, which provides mortgage and loan insurance; the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which ensures all Americans equal access to the housing of their choice; and the Community Development Block Grant Program, which helps communities with economic development, job opportunities, and housing rehabilitation. HUD also administers public housing and homeless assistance. Housing and Urban Development has more than 9,000 employees and a budget of approximately $40 billion.
Some useful HUD links:
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation’s primary conservation agency. Its mission is to protect America’s natural resources, offer recreation opportunities, conduct scientific research, conserve and protect fish and wildlife, and honor U.S. Government responsibilities to American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and to island communities.
DOI manages approximately 500 million acres of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States, and manages hundreds of dams and reservoirs. Agencies within the DOI include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The DOI manages the national parks and is tasked with protecting endangered species.
The Department of the Interior has about 70,000 employees, 200,000 volunteers, and a budget of approximately $16 billion. Every year it raises billions in revenue from energy, mineral, grazing, and timber leases, as well as recreational permits and land sales.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) enforces the law and defends the interests of the United States according to the law; seeks to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; provides federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; seeks just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and ensures fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
The DOJ is made up of over 40 component organizations, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Attorney General is the head of the DOJ and chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government. The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters, advises the president and the heads of the executive departments of the government, and occasionally appears in person before the Supreme Court.
The DOJ budget is approximately $25 billion, it is the world’s largest law office, and the central agency enforcing federal laws. The DOJ provides a variety of resources - from publications, reports, frequently requested forms, and other resources.
The Department of Labor’s mission is to foster and promote the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.
Offices within the Department of Labor include the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, which promotes the safety and health of America’s working men and women, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Government’s principal statistics agency for labor economics. The Secretary of Labor oversees 15,000 employees on a budget of approximately $12 billion.
The Department of State plays the lead role in developing and implementing the President’s foreign policy. Major responsibilities include United States representation abroad, foreign assistance, foreign military training programs, countering international crime, and a wide assortment of services to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals seeking entrance to the United States.
The U.S. maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 180 countries — with each post staffed by civilian U.S. Foreign Service employees — as well as with international organizations. At home, more than 5,000 civil employees carry out the mission of the Department.
The Secretary of State serves as the President’s top foreign policy adviser, and oversees 30,000 employees and a budget of approximately $35 billion. Among the many issues that the State Department works on are:
The mission of the Department of Transportation (DOT) is to ensure an accessible, convenient, efficient, equitable, fast, safe, and sustainable, transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people.
The many organizations within the DOT include the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Maritime Administration.
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation oversees nearly 55,000 employees and a budget of approximately $70 billion. Some of the additional priorities of the DOT are:
The Department of the Treasury is responsible for promoting inclusive economic prosperity for all Americans.
The Department advances U.S. and global economic growth to raise American standards of living, support communities, promote racial justice, combat climate change, and foster financial stability. The Department operates systems that are critical to the nation’s financial infrastructure, such as the production of coin and currency, the disbursement of payments owed to the American public, the collection of necessary taxes, and the borrowing of funds required by congressional enactments to run the Federal Government. The Treasury Department also performs a critical role in enhancing national security by safeguarding U.S. financial systems, implementing economic sanctions against foreign threats to the U.S., and identifying and targeting financial support networks that threaten our national security.
The Secretary of the Treasury oversees a budget of approximately $13 billion and a staff of more than 100,000 employees. DOT Bureaus include:
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor support, medical care, and burial benefits.
Of the 25 million veterans currently alive, nearly three of every four served during a war or an official period of hostility. About a quarter of the nation’s population — approximately 70 million people — are potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members, or survivors of veterans.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs oversees a budget of approximately $90 billion and a staff of approximately 235,000 employees.