United States federal executive departments

The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States–the Departments of State, War, and the Treasury all being established within a few weeks of each other in 1789.

 Departments 
 Department Creation Order ofsuccessionModifications since creation 2007 Budgetin billionsof dollars Employees (2007) State 1789 1 9.96 30,266 Treasury 1789 2 11.10 115,897 Defense 1947 3 439.30 3,000,000 Justice 1870 4 Position of Attorney General created in 1789, but had no department until 1870 23.40 112,557 Interior 1849 5 10.70 71,436 Agriculture 1862 6 77.60 109,832 Commerce 1903 7 Originally named Commerce and Labor; Labor later separated 6.20 36,000 Labor 1913 8 59.70 17,347 Health and Human Services 1953 9 Originally named Health, Education, and Welfare; Education later separated 543.20 67,000 Housing and Urban Development 1965 10 46.20 10,600 Transportation 1966 11 58.00 58,622 Energy 1977 12 21.50 116,100 Education 1979 13 62.80 4,487 Veterans Affairs 1989 14 73.20 235,000 Homeland Security 2002 15 44.6 208,000 Total budget (fiscal year 2007): 1,523.42 4,193,144

 Past departments 
 Department Dates of Operation Notes War 1789–1947  by Department of Defense, renamed Department of the Army Post Office 1792–1971 Reorganized as quasi-independent agency, United States Postal Service Navy 1798–1947 Subsumed by Department of Defense Commerce and Labor 1903–1913 Divided between Department of Commerce and Department of Labor Health, Education, and Welfare 1953–1979 Divided between Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education