Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Federally appointed officials of the United States
This page provides an overview of current federally appointed officials in the judicial and executive branches.
Altogether, there are nearly 1,770 judgeships authorized across the 209 courts in the federal court system. About half of the judges sitting on federal courts are appointed by the president of the United States for life terms. The remaining judges are selected by judges sitting on circuit or district courts for terms of defined lengths. For a list of judges nominated by the current president, click here. To learn more about how federal judges are selected, click here.
In 2024, there were 1,476 government positions subject to presidential appointment: 936 positions required Senate confirmation and 540 did not. The administration was also responsible for filling thousands of other positions across the federal government, including in operations and policy.[1]
Click the links below to read more about:
Federal courts
- See also: United States federal courts
The sections below detail the different courts within the federal court structure. There are five types of courts outlined here: the Supreme Court of the United States, circuit courts, district courts, bankruptcy courts, and courts of specific subject-matter jurisdiction.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the nation and leads the judicial branch of the federal government. Its rulings are final and cannot be appealed to any other court. Its rulings are used as precedent by other courts in the country.
This page covers cases granted certiorari by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) for appellate review in which SCOTUS reversed the lower court's ruling. Original jurisdiction cases cannot be considered affirmed or reversed since SCOTUS is the first and only court that rules in the case.
When the U.S. Supreme Court is asked to review a case, a petition for a writ of certiorari must be filed within 90 days of a lower court’s ruling. Each term, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 new petitions are filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. During its weekly conference—a private meeting of the justices—the court reviews petitions and decides whether or not to grant certiorari. The court accepts and hears arguments in about 80 cases per term and settles 100 or more cases without hearing arguments. Granting certiorari requires affirmative votes from four justices.[2][3]
Since 2007, SCOTUS has released opinions in 1,313 cases. Of those, it reversed a lower court decision 938 times (71.4 percent) while affirming a lower court decision 363 times (27.6 percent). In that time period, SCOTUS has decided more cases originating from the Ninth Circuit (247) than from any other circuit. The next-most Article III circuit court is the Fifth Circuit, which had 118 decisions. During that span, SCOTUS overturned a greater number and percentage of cases originating from the Ninth Circuit (196, or 79 percent).
Circuit Courts
- See also: United States Court of Appeals
The United States Courts of Appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the nation. There are 16 of these courts. Decisions of the district courts are appealed to the circuit courts, and appeals of circuit court decisions are heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Click the links below to view information on each of the courts of appeals.
- United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
- United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
- United States Court of International Trade
District Courts
- See also: United States district court
The United States District Courts are the trial courts of the federal courts. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity. This level of court is composed of 94 different courts. There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Bankruptcy Courts
- See also: United States Bankruptcy Courts
The United States Bankruptcy Courts handle matters of bankruptcy across the nation. The jurisdiction of these courts corresponds with the jurisdiction of the United States District Courts.
Courts of specific subject-matter jurisdiction
There are seven courts of subject-matter jurisdiction in the federal court system. Most of these are Article I tribunals established by the United States Congress. Click here for a summary of these courts. These courts are:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
- United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
- United States Court of Federal Claims
- United States Court of International Trade
- United States Court of Military Commission Review
- United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
- United States Tax Court
Former courts
- Defunct circuit courts
- Defunct federal district courts
- Defunct special jurisdiction courts
- United States Court of Private Land Claims
- United States Commerce Court
Cabinet members
- See also: Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025 and Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025
Before taking office on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump (R) identified candidates for the positions that comprise the president's Cabinet. This tradition is rooted in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which states that the president "may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices."[4]
As of July 25, 2025, 21 Cabinet members had been confirmed. Trump's announced nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz, had not yet been confirmed.
A presidential Cabinet is a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies. The number of officials in a Cabinet can vary across presidential administrations. While not explicitly identified in the Constitution, the Cabinet secretaries are the 15 agency heads who are in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is also part of the Cabinet.
During Trump's second term, the following offices are also Cabinet-rank positions: White House chief of staff, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. trade representative, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the director of National Intelligence, the administrator of the Small Business Administration, and the ambassador to the United Nations. These positions were also Cabinet-level in Trump's first term.[5] Joe Biden (D) additionally included the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in his Cabinet.
Except for the vice president and White House chief of staff, these positions require Senate confirmation. Between November 7 and December 4, 2024, Trump announced nominees for all 22 of the Senate-confirmed Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions in his second term.
The following table provides an overview of the status, confirmation hearings, and committee and Senate votes for each of Trump's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees in his second term.
| Overview of confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees in his second term | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominee | Position | Announced | Senate committee | Confirmation hearing | Committee vote | Senate vote | Status |
| Marco Rubio | Secretary of State | November 13, 2024 | Foreign Relations | January 15, 2025 | Favorable (22-0) | 99-0 | Confirmed on January 20, 2025 |
| Scott Bessent | Secretary of the Treasury | November 22, 2024 | Finance | January 16, 2025 | Favorable (16-11) | 68-29 | Confirmed on January 27, 2025 |
| Pete Hegseth | Secretary of Defense | November 12, 2024 | Armed Services | January 14, 2025 | Favorable (14-13) | 51-50 | Confirmed on January 24, 2025 |
| Matt Gaetz | Attorney General | November 13, 2024 | Judiciary | N/A | N/A | N/A | Withdrawn on November 21, 2024 |
| Pam Bondi | Attorney General | November 21, 2024 | Judiciary | January 15-16, 2025 | Favorable (12-10) | 54-46 | Confirmed on February 4, 2025 |
| Doug Burgum | Secretary of the Interior | November 14, 2024 | Energy and Natural Resources | January 16, 2025 | Favorable (18-2) | 80-17 | Confirmed on January 30, 2025 |
| Brooke Rollins | Secretary of Agriculture | November 23, 2024 | Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry | January 23, 2025 | Favorable (23-0) | 72-28 | Confirmed on February 13, 2025 |
| Howard Lutnick | Secretary of Commerce | November 19, 2024 | Commerce, Science, and Transportation | January 29, 2025 | Favorable (16-12) | 51-45 | Confirmed on February 18, 2025 |
| Lori Chavez-DeRemer | Secretary of Labor | November 22, 2024 | Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions | February 19, 2025 | Favorable (13-9) | 67-32 | Confirmed on March 10, 2025 |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Secretary of Health and Human Services | November 14, 2024 | Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions / Finance |
January 30, 2025 / January 29, 2025 | N/A / Favorable (14-13) | 52-48 | Confirmed on February 13, 2025 |
| Scott Turner | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | November 22, 2024 | Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs | January 16, 2025 | Favorable (13-11) | 55-44 | Confirmed on February 5, 2025 |
| Sean Duffy | Secretary of Transportation | November 18, 2024 | Commerce, Science, and Transportation | January 15, 2025 | Favorable (28-0) | 77-22 | Confirmed on January 28, 2025 |
| Chris Wright | Secretary of Energy | November 16, 2024 | Energy and Natural Resources | January 15, 2025 | Favorable (15-5) | 59-38 | Confirmed on February 3, 2025 |
| Linda McMahon | Secretary of Education | November 19, 2024 | Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions | February 13, 2025 | Favorable (12-11) | 51-45 | Confirmed on March 3, 2025 |
| Doug Collins | Secretary of Veterans Affairs | November 14, 2024 | Veterans' Affairs | January 21, 2025 | Favorable (18-1) | 77-23 | Confirmed on February 4, 2025 |
| Kristi Noem | Secretary of Homeland Security | November 12, 2024 | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs | January 17, 2025 | Favorable (13-2) | 59-34 | Confirmed on January 25, 2025 |
| Jamieson Greer | U.S. Trade Representative | November 26, 2024 | Finance | February 6, 2025 | Favorable (15-12) | 56-43 | Confirmed on February 26, 2025 |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Director of National Intelligence | November 13, 2024 | Intelligence (Select) | January 30, 2025 | Favorable (9-8) | 52-48 | Confirmed on February 12, 2025 |
| Elise Stefanik | U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations | November 11, 2024 | Foreign Relations | January 21, 2025 | Favorable (Voice Vote) | N/A | Withdrawn on March 27, 2025 |
| Michael Waltz | U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations | May 1, 2025 | Foreign Relations | July 15, 2025 | Favorable (12-10) | TBD | Passed committee |
| Russell Vought | Director of the Office of Management and Budget | November 22, 2024 | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget | January 15, 2025 / January 22, 2025 | Favorable (8-7) / Favorable (11-0) | 53-47 | Confirmed on February 6, 2025 |
| Lee Zeldin | Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | November 11, 2024 | Environment and Public Works | January 16, 2025 | Favorable (11-8) | 56-42 | Confirmed on January 29, 2025 |
| Kelly Loeffler | Administrator of the Small Business Administration | December 4, 2024 | Small Business and Entrepreneurship | January 29, 2025 | Favorable (12-7) | 52-46 | Confirmed on February 19, 2025 |
| John Ratcliffe | Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | November 12, 2024 | Intelligence (Select) | January 15, 2025 | Favorable (14-3) | 74-25 | Confirmed on January 23, 2025 |
Ambassadors
The authority for ambassadorial appointments arises from Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which states in the part that the president "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for."[6]
As of September 3, 2025, Trump had appointed 67 ambassadors, according to the American Foreign Service Association.[7] Click here to learn more about Trump's ambassadorial appointments.
Appointment and removal power
Appointment and removal power, in the context of administrative law, refers to the authority of an executive to appoint and remove officials in the various branches vested in its authority to do so.
In the context of the federal government, the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution vests the president with the authority to appoint officers of the United States "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate," including federal judges, ambassadors, and Cabinet-level department heads. Congress may authorize the president, the courts, or the heads of departments to appoint inferior officers, including federal attorneys, chaplains, and federal election supervisors, among other positions.
The acts establishing independent federal agencies allow the president to remove commissioners or agency heads for cause. Most acts define three types of cause: inefficiency, neglect of duty, and malfeasance in office. Statute and the U.S. Supreme Court have not clearly defined these terms.
Appointments Clause
Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, known as the Appointments Clause, establishes federal appointment authority as follows:
|
Appointment power
Officers of the United States
The Appointments Clause provides the president with the authority to appoint officers of the United States, subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. These positions include ambassadors, heads of Cabinet-level departments, and federal judges.[10][11]
Inferior officers
- See also: Lucia v. SEC
Congress itself does not exercise appointment authority. However, the Appointments Clause calls for Congress to vest the authority to appoint inferior officers in the president, the courts, or heads of departments. [10]
The U.S. Supreme Court distinguished between officers of the United States and inferior officers in the 1988 case Morrison v. Olson—clarifying that only Cabinet-level department heads, ambassadors, and federal judges qualify as officers. All other officers, such as federal attorneys, district court clerks, chaplains, and federal election supervisors, qualify as inferior officers. In the 2018 case Lucia v. SEC, the court also ruled that the administrative law judges of the Securities and Exchange Commission are inferior officers and must be appointed by agency heads rather than hired as agency employees.[11]
Removal power
The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly address how federal appointees can be removed from office. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has clarified the president’s removal authority through several key cases:[11][12]
- Myers v. United States (1926): The Court ruled that the president can remove executive officials without needing approval from Congress, unless a law says otherwise.[13]
- Humphrey's Executor v. United States (1935): The Court said Congress can limit the president’s power to fire leaders of independent agencies by requiring a specific reason, like neglect of duty or misconduct.[14]
- Wiener v. United States (1958): The Court confirmed that officials at some independent agencies can only be removed for cause, even if the law doesn’t say so directly.
- Bowsher v. Synar (1986): The Court ruled that Congress cannot remove executive officials, reinforcing that only the executive branch has that power.[8]
- Morrison v. Olson (1988): The Court upheld a law protecting an independent counsel from being fired without cause, saying it didn’t block the president’s core powers.
- Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (2010): The Court struck down rules that made it too hard for the president to remove agency officials, saying the rules gave too much independence.
- Seila Law v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2020): The Court found it unconstitutional to give a single agency head too much job protection. But it said multimember agencies like the Federal Reserve System could still have for-cause protections.
- Collins v. Yellen (2021): The Court ruled that limits on firing the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency were unconstitutional, but actions taken by the agency were still valid.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. Government, "2024 Plum Book," accessed February 4, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Supreme Court, “The Supreme Court at Work: The Term and Caseload,” accessed February 5, 2024
- ↑ SCOTUSblog, “Supreme Court Procedure,” accessed February 5, 2024
- ↑ Constitution Center, "Presidential Advisors," accessed November 18, 2020
- ↑ White House, "The Cabinet," accessed November 18, 2020
- ↑ Constitution Annotated, "Appointing Ambassadors, Ministers, and Consuls," accessed February 2, 2021
- ↑ America Foreign Service Association, "Appointments - Donald J. Trump (2nd Term)," accessed June 10, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Justia, "The Removal Power," accessed October 4, 2018
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, "Appointing and Removal Power, Presidential," accessed October 4, 2018
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Law Shelf, "Presidential powers," accessed October 4, 2018
- ↑ Case Briefs, "Executive Powers: Appointment, Removal, And Pardon," accessed October 4, 2018
- ↑ JUSTIA, "Myers v. United States, 272 U.S. 52 (1926)," accessed June 22, 2018
- ↑ FindLaw, HUMPHREY'S EX'R v. UNITED STATES, accessed November 27, 2017
