The Cygnian federal executive ministries are among the oldest primary units of the executive branch of the Cygnian Imperial Government – the Ministries for Foreign Affairs, War, and the Treasury all having been established within a few weeks of each other in 1792.
All ministries are led by two individuals, both nominated by the Chancellor, but appointed by different entities. Ministers are legislators – that is, Members of Congress – appointed by the Emperor upon nomination by the Chancellor to represent their respective ministries in His Majesty's Cabinet, an executive organ that acts as an advisory body to the Chancellor and the Government. On the other hand, Ministerial secretaries – who are the chief executives of their ministries and hold seniority in this respect to the Ministers, even though they are not members of the Cabinet – are public servants nominated by the Chancellor and confirmed by the Imperial Senate. Secretarial nominees are expected to be experienced and competent in the field for which their ministry operates. A Minister cannot concurrently be a Secretary, and vice versa, as the Imperial Constitution prohibits Members of Congress from holding positions in the Cygnian Civil Service.
Since 1975, by statutory specification, the cabinet constituted a line of succession to the Chancellorship, after the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, in the event of a vacancy in both the Chancellorship and Vice Chancellorship.
Executive Ministries of the present
All ministries are listed by their present-day name.
The order of succession includes:
- the Vice Chancellor as the first in line;
- the Speaker of the House; and
- the President of the Senate.
Ministry |
Creation |
Order of succession |
Notes | 2016 Outlays in billions of sovereigns |
Employees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Foreign Affairs | 1792 | 4 | 47.4 | 48,500 | |
Treasury | 1792 | 5 | 53.7 | 89,639 | |
Justice | 1792 | 7 | Originally named the "Attorney-General's Ministry" | 11.8 | 89,532 |
Education | 1989 | 8 | First formed in 1867, but was dissolved and succeeded by the Ministry of Information and Education in 1934. This ministry was divided into the Ministries of Education and Communication in 1943. The second Ministry of Education became the Ministry of Education and Youth Affairs in 1955. The current Ministry of Family and Youth Affairs was separated in 1989. | 77.5 | 40,000 |
Agriculture and Resources | 1889 | 9 | 14.33 | 7,259 | |
Commerce | 1903 | 10 | Originally named the "Ministry of Commerce and Labour"; Labour later separated | 15.77 | 43,880 |
Workforce Development | 1913 | 11 | Initially named the "Ministry of Labour" | 137.97 | 17,347 |
Veterans' Affairs | 1917 | 12 | Originally known as the "Ministry of Repatriation" | 5.62 | 5,723 |
Health | 1921 | 13 | 82.35 | 67,000 | |
Communications and the Arts | 1943 | 14 | Originally named the "Ministry of Communications" | 28.29 | 18,692 |
Defence | 1947 | 6 | Created by the National Security Act of 1947 from a merger of the Ministries of the Army, Navy and Air Force | 580.48 | 1,300,000 |
Housing and Urban Development | 1965 | 15 | 15.59 | 7,820 | |
Transportation | 1966 | 16 | 3.34 | 6,235 | |
Environment | 1970 | 17 | 37.25 | 8,529 | |
Energy | 1972 | 18 | 10.31 | 4,487 | |
Immigration and Border Protection | 1975 | 19 | 34.2 | 8,506 | |
Family and Youth Affairs | 1989 | 20 | 12.73 | 4,298 | |
Infrastructure | 2013 | 21 | Separated from the Ministry of Transportation | 10.77 | 2,739 |
Chancellor and Cabinet | 1943 | – | Is not included in line of succession as minister responsible is the Chancellor | 0.147 | 4,000 |
Total outlays, employees: | 1,179.547B | 1,774,186 |
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