Executive Branch Departments

Name

Institution

Executive Branch Departments

The Executive Office of the President is an arm of the United States government founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 to help the President govern the country efficiently (The White House, 2014). The Cabinet is composed of thirteen departments with different roles, but this paper focuses on the departments dealing with nuclear weaponry matters. These include Department of Energy, Department of State, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security.

The Department of Defense is based at the Pentagon. The Secretary of Defense, who is the top official in the department, heads it. The role of the DOD is to offer advice to the President on matters defense, formulate the country’s defense policies, and implement the approved policies. The department also deploys military forces to deter war and protect the country. DOD is the largest agency of the government, with millions of both civilian and military personnel serving to protect the nation. It is also in charge of the stockpile of the operational nuclear weapons. The personnel provide humanitarian aid, disaster relief services, perform peacekeeping, and fight in wars for the ultimate benefit of the American citizens.

The Secretary of Defense heads the Department of Energy, whose main role is to promote energy security in the United States (The Nussbaum Education Network, 2014). The department encourages the use of clean and reliable energy sources such as wind, water, and solar with the aim of promoting the energy security. The department is also entrusted with safeguarding the national nuclear security by managing the energy programs and nuclear weapons. It is also the department’s responsibility to resolve the legacy of the production of the nuclear weapons. The department also oversees the disposal of radioactive material, develops energy conservation plans, and manages energy production in the United States. In addition, it is also in charge of production, research, and dismantling nuclear materials and warheads.

The Department of Homeland Security safeguards the American citizens against terrorist attacks, both domestic and international. It also responds to emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, drought, and storms. The department, which was set up after the 9/11 terrorist attack, is the third largest in the cabinet with over 200,000 employees. The department patrols borders, enforces immigration laws, protects travelers and infrastructure in a bid to protect the country and its citizens. It also educates its citizens on emergency prevention and disaster preparedness to promote safety. Thus, in case of nuclear attacks, the department can respond to it adequately and so are the citizens since they have the knowhow (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2014).

The Department of State primarily deals with matters foreign affairs and implements the foreign policy in various countries. The Secretary of State establishes working relationships with various countries globally and managing United States embassies in those countries. Thus, the department helps in countering international crime and threats, and offers military training and assistance to other nations. The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency is a unit of the Department of State and it handles nuclear weaponry and other arms that endanger the security of the American citizens (U.S. Department of State, 2014).

The aforementioned departments are executive branch organizations of the United States government that deal with nuclear weapons and related issues. In case of any nuclear attacks or weapons detected in the country, the above departments play part in dealing with such cases in one way or another. Thus, they are all geared towards safeguarding the national interests of the country by protecting the citizens.

References

Natural Resources Defense Council. (2014). Chapter two: U.S. executive branch organizations. Retrieved on 26 March 2014 from http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/nuguide/ueb.asp

The Nussbaum Education Network. (2014). U.S. government executive branch. Retrieved on 26 March 2014 from http://mrnussbaum.com/government/executive_branch/

The White House. (2014). The executive branch. Retrieved on 26 March 2014 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch

U.S. Department of State. (2014). Department organization. Retrieved on 26 March 2014 from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/dos/436.htm