The United States order of precedence lists the ceremonial order for domestic and foreign government officials, military and civic leaders at diplomatic, ceremonial, and social events within the United States and abroad. Former Presidents, Vice Presidents, First Ladies, Secretaries of State and Supreme Court Justices are also included in the list. The order is established by the President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

, through the Office of the Chief of Staff

White House Chief of Staff

The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...

, and is maintained by the State Department

United States Department of State

The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...

's Office of the Chief of Protocol

Chief of Protocol of the United States

The Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol...

. It is only used to indicate ceremonial protocol

Protocol (diplomacy)

In international politics, protocol is the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state.A protocol is a rule which guides how an activity should be performed, especially in the field of diplomacy. In diplomatic services and governmental fields of endeavor protocols are often unwritten guidelines...

 and has no legal standing; it does not reflect the presidential line of succession

United States presidential line of succession

The United States presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as President of the United States upon the incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting president or a president-elect.- Current order :This is a list of the current presidential line of...

 or the equal status of the branches of government

Separation of powers under the United States Constitution

Separation of powers is a political doctrine originating from the United States Constitution, according to which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the United States government are kept distinct in order to prevent abuse of power. This U.S...

 under the Constitution

United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...

.

Details as of November 1, 2011

(Except as otherwise noted, positions in the list are from three sources.)

1. President of the United States
   President of the United States
   The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
   
    (Barack Obama
   Barack Obama
   Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
   
   )
2. Foreign heads of state/Reigning monarchs
3. Vice President of the United States
   Vice President of the United States
   The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
   
    (Joe Biden
   Joe Biden
   Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
   
   )
4. Governor
   Governor (United States)
   In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...
   
    (of the state in which the event is held)
5. Mayor
   Mayor
   In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
   
    (of the city in which the event is held)
6. Speaker of the House of Representatives
   Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
   The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
   
    (John Boehner
   John Boehner
   John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
   
   )
7. Chief Justice of the United States
   Chief Justice of the United States
   The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
   
    (John Roberts)
8. Former Presidents of the United States (in order of term)
   1. Jimmy Carter
      Jimmy Carter
      James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
      
       (January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981)
   2. George H. W. Bush
      George H. W. Bush
      George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
      
       (January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993)
   3. Bill Clinton
      Bill Clinton
      William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
      
       (January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
   4. George W. Bush
      George W. Bush
      George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
      
       (January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009)
9. Ambassadors of the United States (at the Ambassador's post)
10. United States Secretary of State
    United States Secretary of State
    The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
    
     (Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
    
    )
11. Secretary-General of the United Nations (Ban Ki-moon
    Ban Ki-moon
    Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
    
    )
12. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Foreign Powers accredited to the United States (in order of the presentation of their credentials)
13. Widows of former Presidents (in order of spouse's term)
    1. Nancy Reagan
       Nancy Reagan
       Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
       
        (January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989)
14. Ministers of Foreign Powers accredited to the United States
15. Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
    Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
    Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
    
     (in order of appointment)
    1. Antonin Scalia
       Antonin Scalia
       Antonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
       
        (September 26, 1986)
    2. Anthony Kennedy
       Anthony Kennedy
       Anthony McLeod Kennedy is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, having been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Since the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor, Kennedy has often been the swing vote on many of the Court's politically charged 5–4 decisions...
       
        (February 18, 1988)
    3. Clarence Thomas
       Clarence Thomas
       Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
       
        (October 18, 1991)
    4. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
       Ruth Bader Ginsburg
       Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
       
        (August 10, 1993)
    5. Stephen Breyer
       Stephen Breyer
       Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
       
        (August 3, 1994)
    6. Samuel Alito
       Samuel Alito
       Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
       
        (January 31, 2006)
    7. Sonia Sotomayor
       Sonia Sotomayor
       Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
       
        (August 8, 2009)
    8. Elena Kagan
       Elena Kagan
       Elena Kagan is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 7, 2010. Kagan is the Court's 112th justice and fourth female justice....
       
        (August 7, 2010)
16. Retired Chief Justices of the Supreme Court (currently none)
17. Retired Associate Justices of the Supreme Court (in order of appointment)
    1. John Paul Stevens
       John Paul Stevens
       John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
       
        (December 19, 1975)
    2. Sandra Day O'Connor
       Sandra Day O'Connor
       Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
       
        (September 25, 1981)
    3. David Souter
       David Souter
       David Hackett Souter is a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He served from 1990 until his retirement on June 29, 2009. Appointed by President George H. W. Bush to fill the seat vacated by William J...
       
        (October 9, 1990)
18. Members of the Cabinet
    United States Cabinet
    The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
    
     (in the order of the creation of the respective departments; note that the Secretary of State already appears above; the creation date for the Secretary of War
    United States Secretary of War
    The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
    
     is used as the date for the Secretary of Defense's spot in the precedence.)
    1. Secretary of the Treasury
       United States Secretary of the Treasury
       The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
       
        (Timothy Geithner)
    2. Secretary of Defense
       United States Secretary of Defense
       The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
       
        (Leon Panetta
       Leon Panetta
       Leon Edward Panetta is the 23rd and current United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama since 2011. Prior to taking office, he served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency...
       
       )
    3. Attorney General
       United States Attorney General
       The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
       
        (Eric Holder
       Eric Holder
       Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. is the 82nd and current Attorney General of the United States and the first African American to hold the position, serving under President Barack Obama....
       
       )
    4. Secretary of the Interior
       United States Secretary of the Interior
       The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
       
        (Ken Salazar
       Ken Salazar
       Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
       
       )
    5. Secretary of Agriculture
       United States Secretary of Agriculture
       The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
       
        (Tom Vilsack
       Tom Vilsack
       Thomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
       
       )
    6. Secretary of Commerce
       United States Secretary of Commerce
       The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
       
        (John Bryson
       John Bryson
       John E. Bryson is the 37th Secretary of Commerce. The Senate confirmed him by a 74–26 vote on October 20, 2011. He was sworn in on October 21, 2011...
       
       )
    7. Secretary of Labor
       United States Secretary of Labor
       The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies....
       
        (Hilda Solis
       Hilda Solis
       Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
       
       )
    8. Secretary of Health and Human Services
       United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
       The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet...
       
        (Kathleen Sebelius
       Kathleen Sebelius
       Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...
       
       )
    9. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
       United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
       The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the President's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Housing...
       
        (Shaun Donovan
       Shaun Donovan
       Shaun L.S. Donovan is the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, serving in the cabinet of President Barack Obama. Prior to this he headed the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development...
       
       )
    10. Secretary of Transportation
        United States Secretary of Transportation
        The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
        
         (Ray LaHood
        Ray LaHood
        Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
        
        )
    11. Secretary of Energy
        United States Secretary of Energy
        The United States Secretary of Energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was formed on October 1, 1977 with the creation of the Department of Energy when President Jimmy...
        
         (Steven Chu
        Steven Chu
        Steven Chu is an American physicist and the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. Chu is known for his research at Bell Labs in cooling and trapping of atoms with laser light, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997, along with his scientific colleagues Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and...
        
        )
    12. Secretary of Education
        United States Secretary of Education
        The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet, and 16th in line of United States presidential line of succession...
        
         (Arne Duncan
        Arne Duncan
        Arne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early years and personal:...
        
        )
    13. Secretary of Veterans Affairs
        United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
        The United States Secretary of Veterans' Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and related matters...
        
         (Eric Shinseki
        Eric Shinseki
        Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army four-star general who is currently serving as the 7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His final U.S. Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army...
        
        )
    14. Secretary of Homeland Security
        United States Secretary of Homeland Security
        The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the...
        
         (Janet Napolitano
        Janet Napolitano
        Janet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...
        
        )
19. White House Chief of Staff
    White House Chief of Staff
    The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
    
     (William Daley
    William M. Daley
    William Michael “Bill” Daley is an American lawyer and former banker and is the current White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama. He served as U.S...
    
    )
20. Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Jacob Lew
    Jacob Lew
    Jacob "Jack" J. Lew is the Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget a position he previously held from 1998 to 2001.-Early life and education:...
    
    )
21. Director of National Drug Control Policy
    Office of National Drug Control Policy
    The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy , a former cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1989 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988...
    
     (Gil Kerlikowske
    Gil Kerlikowske
    Richard Gil Kerlikowske is the current Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position generally referred to as the United States "Drug Czar". He assumed office on May 7, 2009....
    
    )
22. Trade Representative
    Office of the United States Trade Representative
    The Office of the United States Trade Representative is the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the president of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade...
    
     (Ron Kirk
    Ron Kirk
    Ronald "Ron" Kirk is the 16th United States Trade Representative, serving in the Obama administration. He served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1995 to 2002; he also ran for the United States Senate in 2002.-Early life and career:...
    
    )
23. Director of National Intelligence (James Clapper
    James R. Clapper
    James R. Clapper, Jr. is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force and is currently the Director of National Intelligence. He was previously dual-hatted as the first Director of Defense Intelligence within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence alongside the position...
    
    )
24. Ambassador to the United Nations
    United States Ambassador to the United Nations
    The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador...
    
     (Susan Rice)
25. President pro tempore of the Senate
    President pro tempore of the United States Senate
    The President pro tempore is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. The United States Constitution states that the Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate and the highest-ranking official of the Senate despite not being a member of the body...
    
     (Daniel Inouye
    Daniel Inouye
    Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
    
    )
26. Current Senators
    United States Senate
    The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
    
     (by seniority; see Seniority in the United States Senate; note that the President pro tempore of the Senate appears above.)
27. State governor
    Governor (United States)
    In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...
    
    s (of states other than that in which the event is held, by date of statehood or ratification of the Constitution)
    1. Governor of Delaware (Jack Markell
       Jack A. Markell
       Jack A. Markell is an American businessman and politician who has been Governor of Delaware since 2009. Markell, a member of the Democratic Party from Centreville, in New Castle County, Delaware, served as State Treasurer of Delaware from 1999 to 2009 and was elected as the 73rd Governor of...
       
       )
    2. Governor of Pennsylvania (Tom Corbett
       Tom Corbett
       Thomas W. Corbett is the 46th and current Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. He is a former Attorney General of Pennsylvania and was elected to that office in 2004 and reelected in 2008...
       
       )
    3. Governor of New Jersey (Chris Christie)
    4. Governor of Georgia (Nathan Deal
       Nathan Deal
       John Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
       
       )
    5. Governor of Connecticut (Dan Malloy
       Dan Malloy
       Dannel Patrick "Dan" Malloy is the 88th and current Governor of Connecticut. He was the Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut from December 1995 until December 2009. Malloy had been endorsed by the Connecticut Democratic Party on May 22, 2010 over 2006 Democratic U.S...
       
       )
    6. Governor of Massachusetts (Deval Patrick
       Deval Patrick
       Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
       
       )
    7. Governor of Maryland (Martin O'Malley
       Martin O'Malley
       Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
       
       )
    8. Governor of South Carolina (Nikki Haley
       Nikki Haley
       Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley is the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, Haley represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010....
       
       )
    9. Governor of New Hampshire (John Lynch)
    10. Governor of Virginia (Bob McDonnell
        Bob McDonnell
        Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...
        
        )
    11. Governor of New York (Andrew Cuomo
        Andrew Cuomo
        Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
        
        )
    12. Governor of North Carolina (Beverly Perdue)
    13. Governor of Rhode Island (Lincoln Chafee
        Lincoln Chafee
        Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
        
        )
    14. Governor of Vermont (Peter Shumlin)
    15. Governor of Kentucky (Steve Beshear
        Steve Beshear
        Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
        
        )
    16. Governor of Tennessee (Bill Haslam
        Bill Haslam
        William Edward "Bill" Haslam is the 49th and current Governor of Tennessee. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam was elected to office in 2010...
        
        )
    17. Governor of Ohio (John Kasich
        John Kasich
        John Richard Kasich is the 69th and current Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1983 to 2001...
        
        )
    18. Governor of Louisiana (Bobby Jindal
        Bobby Jindal
        Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
        
        )
    19. Governor of Indiana (Mitch Daniels
        Mitch Daniels
        Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...
        
        )
    20. Governor of Mississippi (Haley Barbour
        Haley Barbour
        Haley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
        
        )
    21. Governor of Illinois (Pat Quinn
        Pat Quinn (politician)
        Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...
        
        )
    22. Governor of Alabama (Robert Bentley)
    23. Governor of Maine (Paul LePage
        Paul LePage
        Paul Richard LePage is an American businessman and politician who is serving as the 74th and current Governor of Maine. A Republican, he was previously mayor of Waterville from 2003 to 2011, and was a city councilor before that...
        
        )
    24. Governor of Missouri (Jay Nixon
        Jay Nixon
        Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:...
        
        )
    25. Governor of Arkansas (Mike Beebe)
    26. Governor of Michigan (Rick Snyder)
    27. Governor of Florida (Rick Scott)
    28. Governor of Texas (Rick Perry
        Rick Perry
        James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
        
        )
    29. Governor of Iowa (Terry Branstad
        Terry E. Branstad
        Terry Edward Branstad is an American politician who is the 42nd and current Governor of Iowa since January 2011. Branstad was the 39th Governor of Iowa from 1983 to 1999 and President of Des Moines University from 2003 to 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the youngest and...
        
        )
    30. Governor of Wisconsin (Scott Walker
        Scott Walker (politician)
        Scott Kevin Walker is an American Republican politician who began serving as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 2011, after defeating Democratic candidate Tom Barrett, 52 percent to 47 percent in the November 2010 general election...
        
        )
    31. Governor of California (Jerry Brown
        Jerry Brown
        Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
        
        )
    32. Governor of Minnesota (Mark Dayton
        Mark Dayton
        Mark Brandt Dayton is an American politician, the 40th and current Governor of the state of Minnesota. Dayton previously served as United States Senator from Minnesota from 2001 to 2007 in the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses...
        
        )
    33. Governor of Oregon (John Kitzhaber
        John Kitzhaber
        John Albert Kitzhaber is the 37th Governor of Oregon. He served as the 35th Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and became the first person to be elected to the office three times when he was re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2010...
        
        )
    34. Governor of Kansas (Sam Brownback
        Sam Brownback
        Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
        
        )
    35. Governor of West Virginia (Earl Ray Tomblin
        Earl Ray Tomblin
        Earl Ray Tomblin is an American politician who serves as the 35th and current Governor of West Virginia. Tomblin is a member of the Democratic Party. Tomblin has served as President of the West Virginia State Senate for over 16 years. He became Acting Governor in 2010 following Joe Manchin's...
        
        )
    36. Governor of Nevada (Brian Sandoval
        Brian Sandoval
        Brian Edward Sandoval is an American politician. He is the 29th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada since January 3, 2011. Sandoval is a former judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada...
        
        )
    37. Governor of Nebraska (Dave Heineman
        Dave Heineman
        David Eugene "Dave" Heineman is the 39th and current Governor of Nebraska. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
        
        )
    38. Governor of Colorado (John Hickenlooper
        John Hickenlooper
        John Wright Hickenlooper is an American politician and current Governor of Colorado. A Democrat, he was previously the Mayor of Denver, Colorado from 2003 to 2011.-Early life, education and career:...
        
        )
    39. Governor of North Dakota (Jack Dalrymple
        Jack Dalrymple
        John "Jack" Dalrymple is a North Dakota politician and businessman who is the current Governor of North Dakota, and a one-time candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992. Dalrymple became governor after the resignation of John Hoeven, who was elected to the U.S...
        
        )
    40. Governor of South Dakota (Dennis Daugaard)
    41. Governor of Montana (Brian Schweitzer
        Brian Schweitzer
        Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
        
        )
    42. Governor of Washington (Christine Gregoire
        Christine Gregoire
        Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
        
        )
    43. Governor of Idaho (Butch Otter)
    44. Governor of Wyoming (Matt Mead
        Matt Mead
        Matthew Hansen "Matt" Mead , is the 32nd and current Governor of Wyoming.-Early Life:Mead is the son of Peter Mead and Mary Hansen Mead , the GOP gubernatorial nominee in 1990, and the grandson of the late Governor and U.S. Senator Clifford P. Hansen...
        
        )
    45. Governor of Utah (Gary Herbert
        Gary R. Herbert
        Gary Richard Herbert is the 17th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Utah. Having served as the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009, he assumed the governorship on August 11, 2009, following the resignation of Jon Huntsman, who was appointed United States Ambassador to the...
        
        )
    46. Governor of Oklahoma (Mary Fallin
        Mary Fallin
        Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
        
        )
    47. Governor of New Mexico (Susana Martinez
        Susana Martinez
        Susana Martinez is the 31st and current governor of New Mexico.A Republican, Martinez is the first female governor of New Mexico, as well as the first female Hispanic governor in the United States. She was formerly the district attorney for the 3rd Judicial District of the U.S. state of New Mexico...
        
        )
    48. Governor of Arizona (Jan Brewer
        Jan Brewer
        Janice Kay "Jan" Brewer is the 22nd and current Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and a member of the Republican Party. She is the fourth woman, and third consecutive woman, to hold the office...
        
        )
    49. Governor of Alaska (Sean Parnell
        Sean Parnell
        Sean R. Parnell is an American Republican politician who is the tenth and current Governor of Alaska. He succeeded Sarah Palin following her resignation, and was sworn in at the Governor's Picnic in Fairbanks on July 26, 2009...
        
        )
    50. Governor of Hawaii (Neil Abercrombie
        Neil Abercrombie
        Neil Abercrombie is the 7th and current Governor of Hawaii. He was the Democratic U.S. Representative of the First Congressional District of Hawaii which comprises urban Honolulu. He served in Congress from 1986 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2010 when he resigned to successfully run for governor...
        
        )
28. Acting heads of executive departments
29. Former Vice Presidents (in order of term) (note that George H. W. Bush, who would otherwise appear in this list, already appears above as a former President)
    1. Walter Mondale
       Walter Mondale
       Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
       
        (January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981)
    2. Dan Quayle
       Dan Quayle
       James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
       
        (January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993)
    3. Al Gore
       Al Gore
       Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
       
        (January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
    4. Dick Cheney
       Dick Cheney
       Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
       
        (January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009)
30. Current Representatives
    United States House of Representatives
    The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
    
     (by seniority; see List of current members of the United States House of Representatives by seniority; note that the Speaker of the House (currently Representative John Boehner) appears above.)
31. Current Delegates
    Delegate (United States Congress)
    A delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U.S. territory and from Washington, D.C. to a two-year term. While unable to vote in the full House, a non-voting delegate may vote in a House committee of which the delegate is a member...
    
     (by seniority)
    1. Eni Faleomavaega (January 3, 1989)
    2. Eleanor Holmes Norton
       Eleanor Holmes Norton
       Eleanor Holmes Norton is a Delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia. In her position she is able to serve on and vote with committees, as well as speak from the House floor...
       
        (January 3, 1991)
    3. Donna Christian-Christensen
       Donna Christian-Christensen
       Donna Marie Christian-Christensen, formerly Donna Christian-Green , is the non-voting Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands to the United States House of Representatives .-Early life:...
       
        (January 3, 1997)
    4. Madeleine Bordallo
       Madeleine Bordallo
       Madeleine Mary Zeien Bordallo is the Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives.She was the first woman ever to serve as Guam's Delegate, Guam's first female Lieutenant Governor , Guam's first female candidate for Governor , and the first Democratic woman elected to the...
       
        (January 3, 2003)
    5. Pedro Pierluisi
       Pedro Pierluisi
       Pedro R. Pierluisi Urrutia is a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico and the United States Democratic Party...
       
        (January 3, 2009)
    6. Gregorio Sablan
       Gregorio Sablan
       Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan is a Northern Mariana politician and former election commission director. Sablan was elected in 2008 as the first nonvoting delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands...
       
        (January 3, 2009)
32. Governor of Puerto Rico
    Governor of Puerto Rico
    The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Since 1948, the Governor has been elected by the people of Puerto Rico...
    
     (Luis Fortuño
    Luis Fortuño
    Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
    
    )
33. National Security Advisor
    National Security Advisor (United States)
    The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...
    
     (Thomas Donilon
    Thomas E. Donilon
    Thomas E. “Tom” Donilon is the National Security Advisor in the Obama Administration, and has had a career as a U.S. political advisor, government official and lawyer...
    
    )
34. Counselor to the President
    Counselor to the President
    The Counselor to the President is the highest-ranking assistant to the President of the United States for communications, and a member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. In the administration of George W. Bush, the Counselor oversaw the Communications, Media Affairs,...
    
     and Assistants to the President
    Executive Office of the President of the United States
    The Executive Office of the President consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. The EOP is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, currently William M. Daley...
    
    
35. Chargés d'affaires
    Chargé d'affaires
    In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
    
     of foreign countries
36. Former Secretaries of State (in order of term)
    1. Henry Kissinger
       Henry Kissinger
       Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
       
        (September 22, 1973 – January 20, 1977)
    2. George Shultz
       George P. Shultz
       George Pratt Shultz is an American economist, statesman, and businessman. He served as the United States Secretary of Labor from 1969 to 1970, as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1972 to 1974, and as the U.S. Secretary of State from 1982 to 1989...
       
        (July 16, 1982 – January 20, 1989)
    3. James Baker
       James Baker
       James Addison Baker, III is an American attorney, politician and political advisor.Baker served as the Chief of Staff in President Ronald Reagan's first administration and in the final year of the administration of President George H. W. Bush...
       
        (January 20, 1989 – August 23, 1992)
    4. Madeleine Albright
       Madeleine Albright
       Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
       
        (January 23, 1997 – January 20, 2001)
    5. Colin Powell
       Colin Powell
       Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
       
        (January 20, 2001 – January 26, 2005)
    6. Condoleezza Rice
       Condoleezza Rice
       Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
       
        (January 26, 2005 – January 20, 2009)
37. Deputy Secretaries of Executive Departments (in the order of the creation of the respective departments as for Secretaries above)
    1. Deputy Secretary of State
       United States Deputy Secretary of State
       The Deputy Secretary of State of the United States is the chief assistant to the Secretary of State. If the Secretary of State resigns or dies, the Deputy Secretary of State becomes Acting Secretary of State until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a replacement. The position was...
       
        (James Steinberg
       James Steinberg
       James Braidy "Jim" Steinberg is an American academic and political advisor, and former Deputy Secretary of State. He is currently Dean and Professor of Social Science, International Affairs, and Law at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.-Early career:He...
       
       )
    2. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
       United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
       The Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of the Treasury in the supervision and direction of the Department of the Treasury and its activities, and succeeds the Secretary in his absence, sickness, or unavailability...
       
        (Neal Wolin
       Neal S. Wolin
       Neal Steven Wolin is the current United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.Wolin was nominated by President Barack Obama in March 2009 and confirmed in May 2009. Prior to his confirmation as Deputy Secretary of the U.S...
       
       )
    3. Deputy Secretary of Defense
       United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
       The Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Deputy Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate...
       
        (William Lynn
       William J. Lynn III
       William J. Lynn III is a former United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. Before that he was Under Secretary of Defense and a lobbyist for Raytheon.-Biography:...
       
       )
    4. Deputy Attorney General
       United States Deputy Attorney General
       United States Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Justice, and may act as Attorney General during the...
       
        (James Cole
       James M. Cole
       James Michael Cole is an American attorney who has served as United States Deputy Attorney General since December 29, 2010. He was first installed as Deputy Attorney General following a recess appointment by President Barack Obama on December 29, 2010...
       
       )
    5. Deputy Secretary of the Interior
       United States Deputy Secretary of the Interior
       The Deputy Secretary of the Interior, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of the Interior in the supervision and direction of the Department of the Interior and its activities, and succeeds the Secretary in his or her absence, sickness, or unavailability. The Deputy...
       
        (David Hayes
       David J. Hayes
       David J. Hayes is the Deputy Secretary of the Interior in the Obama administration. His nomination was confirmed on May 20, 2009 by the United States Senate and he took office on May 22, 2009...
       
       )
    6. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
       United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
       The United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Deputy Secretary becomes Acting Secretary of Agriculture in the event of the Secretary's...
       
        (Kathleen Merrigan
       Kathleen Merrigan
       Kathleen Merrigan was sworn in as the United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture on April 8, 2009.Merrigan helped develop USDA's organic labeling rules while head of the Agricultural Marketing Service from 1999-2001. Between her USDA positions, she worked at Tufts University as Director of the...
       
       )
    7. Deputy Secretary of Commerce
       United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce
       The Deputy Secretary of Commerce is a high ranking position within the United States Department of Commerce. It was createdon December 13, 1979 when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and nominated Luther H. Hodges, Jr., who then currently held the title of Under Secretary of...
       
        (Vacant)
    8. Deputy Secretary of Labor
       United States Deputy Secretary of Labor
       United States Deputy Secretary of Labor is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Labor. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Secretary oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Labor, and may act as Secretary of Labor during the absence...
       
        (Seth Harris
       Seth Harris
       Seth D. Harris is the 11th United States Deputy Secretary of Labor. Nominated by Barack Obama in February 2009, Harris was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in May 2009...
       
       )
    9. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
       United States Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
       The Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
       
        (Bill Corr
       Bill Corr
       Bill Corr is the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services in President Barack Obama's administration...
       
       )
    10. Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
        United States Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
        The Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Deputy Secretary . The Deputy Secretary is the first in line for the office of Secretary if the Secretary...
        
         (Ron Sims
        Ron Sims
        Ronald Cordell Sims, , is currently the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, having been confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8. He is also the former King County Executive...
        
        )
    11. Deputy Secretary of Transportation
        United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation
        The Deputy Secretary of Transportation, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of Transportation in the supervision and direction of the Department of Transporatation . The Deputy Secretary would succeed the Secretary in his absence, sickness, or unavailability.The...
        
         (John Porcari
        John Porcari
        John D. Porcari is the current United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation. He was nominated by the Obama administration in April 2009 and confirmed by the Senate on May 21, 2009....
        
        )
    12. Deputy Secretary of Energy (Daniel Poneman
        Daniel Poneman
        Daniel Bruce Poneman is currently the United States Deputy Secretary of Energy. Since 2001, Poneman was a Principal of The Scowcroft Group, a business advisory firm in Washington, D.C...
        
        )
    13. Deputy Secretary of Education
        United States Deputy Secretary of Education
        The Deputy Secretary of Education oversees and manages the development of policies in the United States Department of Education. The Deputy Secretary focuses primarily on K–12 education policy, such as No Child Left Behind, the High School Initiative, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education...
        
         (Anthony Miller
        Anthony W. Miller
        Anthony Wilder "Tony" Miller is the United States Deputy Secretary of Education, confirmed on July 24, 2009 to replace Raymond Simon, who resigned from this Office on January 20, 2009.-Career:...
        
        )
    14. Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
        United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
        The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and their...
        
         (Scott Gould
        W. Scott Gould
        W. Scott Gould was confirmed as United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs on April 2, 2009 to replace Gordon H. Mansfield, who resigned from this Office on January 20, 2009.-Career:...
        
        )
    15. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
        United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
        The Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security. In this role, the Deputy Secretary serves as Department of Homeland Security's chief operating officer, with responsibility for managing day-to-day operations...
        
         (Jane Holl Lute
        Jane Holl Lute
        Jane Holl Lute currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, having been confirmed by the Senate on April 3, 2009. Previously, Lute was the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support...
        
        )
38. Solicitor General
    United States Solicitor General
    The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
    
     (Donald Verrilli Jr.
    Donald Verrilli Jr.
    Donald Beaton Verrilli Jr. is Solicitor General of the United States. He was sworn in to the post on June 9, 2011. On June 6, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Verrilli in a 72–16 vote. President Barack Obama had nominated Verrilli to the post on January 26, 2011...
    
    )
39. Administrator of the Agency for International Development
    United States Agency for International Development
    The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
    
     (Rajiv Shah
    Rajiv Shah
    Rajiv “Raj” Shah is the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development . He was confirmed by the Senate on December 24, 2009, replacing acting chief Alonzo Fulgham, making him the highest-ranking Indian American in any presidential administration...
    
    )
40. Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
    Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
    The U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Arms Control and Disarmament Act , September 26, 1961, a bill drafted by presidential adviser John J. McCloy. Its predecessor was the U.S. Disarmament Administration, part...
    
     (Ellen Tauscher
    Ellen Tauscher
    Ellen O'Kane Tauscher is an American politician and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs...
    
    )
41. Under Secretaries of State and Counsel
    Counsel
    A counsel or a counselor gives advice, more particularly in legal matters.-U.K. and Ireland:The legal system in England uses the term counsel as an approximate synonym for a barrister-at-law, and may apply it to mean either a single person who pleads a cause, or collectively, the body of barristers...
    
    s
42. Under Secretaries of Executive Departments
43. United States Ambassadors-at-Large
    Ambassador-at-large
    An ambassador-at-large is a Diplomat of the highest rank or a Minister who is accredited to represent his country internationally.Unlike an ambassador-in-residence who is usually limited to a country and/or embassy, the ambassador-at-large is entrusted to operate in several usually neighboring...
    
    
44. Secretaries of the service departments (by creation order of branch)
    1. Secretary of the Army
       United States Secretary of the Army
       The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...
       
        (John McHugh
       John M. McHugh
       John Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to...
       
       )
    2. Secretary of the Navy
       United States Secretary of the Navy
       The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
       
        (Ray Mabus
       Ray Mabus
       Raymond Edwin "Ray" Mabus, Jr. is the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy. Mabus served as the 60th Governor of the U.S...
       
       )
    3. Secretary of the Air Force
       United States Secretary of the Air Force
       The Secretary of the Air Force is the Head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate...
       
        (Michael Donley
       Michael B. Donley
       Michael Bruce Donley is the 22nd Secretary of the United States Air Force. Donley has 30 years of experience in the national security community, including service on the staff of the United States Senate, White House and The Pentagon...
       
       )
45. Postmaster General
    United States Postmaster General
    The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
    
     (Patrick R. Donahoe
    Patrick R. Donahoe
    Patrick R. Donahoe is the 73rd United States Postmaster General, having been appointed to the post on October 25, 2010. A 35 year veteran, he reports to the Postal Service Board of Governors. Prior to being Postmaster, Donahoe served as the 19th deputy postmaster general. He entered the Postal...
    
    )
46. Chairman of the Federal Reserve
    Chairman of the Federal Reserve
    The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is the head of the central banking system of the United States. Known colloquially as "Chairman of the Fed," or in market circles "Fed Chairman" or "Fed Chief"...
    
     (Ben Bernanke
    Ben Bernanke
    Ben Shalom Bernanke is an American economist, and the current Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States. During his tenure as Chairman, Bernanke has overseen the response of the Federal Reserve to late-2000s financial crisis....
    
    )
47. Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality
    Council on Environmental Quality
    The Council on Environmental Quality is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives...
    
     (Nancy Sutley
    Nancy Sutley
    Nancy Helen Sutley leads the White House Council on Environmental Quality. She was confirmed by the United States Senate through unanimous consent January 22, 2009. In her role as chair, she serves as the principal environmental policy advisor to the president...
    
    )
48. Chairman of the Export-Import Bank
    Export-Import Bank of the United States
    The Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States federal government. It was established in 1934 by an executive order, and made an independent agency in the Executive branch by Congress in 1945, for the purposes of financing and insuring...
    
     (Fred Hochberg)
49. Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
    Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
    The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Federal Employees Retirement System Act of 1986. It is one of the smaller executive branch agencies, with just over 80 employees...
    
     (Andrew Saul
    Andrew Saul
    Andrew Marshall Saul is an American millionaire businessman from Katonah, New York who serves as the Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, United States...
    
    )
50. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
    
     (GEN
    General (United States)
    In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
    
     Martin Dempsey
    Martin Dempsey
    General Martin E. Dempsey, USA is the 18th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He previously served 149 days as the 37th Chief of Staff of the Army from April 11, 2011 to September 7, 2011. Prior to that, he served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command from...
    
    )
51. Under Secretaries of Defense
52. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
    The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the second highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces ranking just below the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
    
     (ADM
    Admiral (United States)
    In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
    
     James Winnefeld
    James A. Winnefeld, Jr.
    James Alexander "Sandy" Winnefeld, Jr. is a United States Navy four-star admiral who currently serves as the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He previously served as the fourth Commander, U.S. Northern Command and the 21st Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command from...
    
    )
53. Joint Chiefs of Staff (in order of appointment)
    1. Chief of Staff of the Air Force
       Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
       The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...
       
        (Gen
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        Norton Schwartz
       Norton A. Schwartz
       Norton Allan Schwartz is a United States Air Force general who is serving as the 19th Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He previously served as Commander, United States Transportation Command from September 2005 to August 2008...
       
       )
    2. Commandant of the Marine Corps
       Commandant of the Marine Corps
       The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
       
        (Gen
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        James Amos
       James F. Amos
       James F. Amos is a four-star general in the United States Marine Corps and the 35th and current Commandant of the Marine Corps. A naval aviator by trade, Amos commanded the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2004. He served as the 31st Assistant Commandant of the...
       
       )
    3. Chief of Staff of the Army
       Chief of Staff of the United States Army
       The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
       
        (GEN
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        Raymond Odierno)
    4. Chief of Naval Operations
       Chief of Naval Operations
       The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
       
        (ADM
       Admiral (United States)
       In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
       
        Jonathan Greenert
       Jonathan W. Greenert
       Jonathan W. Greenert is a United States Navy admiral currently serving as the 30th Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as the 36th Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 13, 2009 to August 22, 2011. Prior to that, he served as Commander, U.S...
       
       )
54. Commandant of the Coast Guard
    Commandant of the Coast Guard
    The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...
    
     (ADM
    Admiral (United States)
    In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
    
     Robert Papp
    Robert J. Papp, Jr.
    Robert J. Papp. Jr. is a United States Coast Guard admiral and the 24th and current Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. He leads the largest component of the United States Department of Homeland Security, with 42,000 active duty, 8,200 Reserve, 8,000 civilian, and 31,000...
    
    )
55. Commanders of the Unified Combatant Command
    Unified Combatant Command
    A Unified Combatant Command is a United States Department of Defense command that is composed of forces from at least two Military Departments and has a broad and continuing mission. These commands are established to provide effective command and control of U.S. military forces, regardless of...
    
    s of four-star grade
    1. Africa Command
       United States Africa Command
       The United States Africa Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations – an area of responsibility covering all...
       
        (GEN
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        Carter Ham
       Carter Ham
       Carter F. Ham is a United States Army general, who serves as the second and current Commander, U.S. Africa Command. In that position, he has been in command of the initial 2011 military intervention in Libya....
       
       )
    2. Central Command
       United States Central Command
       The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
       
        (Gen
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        James Mattis
       James Mattis
       James N. Mattis is a United States Marine Corps general and the current commander of United States Central Command. Having replaced David Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from November 9, 2007 to August 2010 and served concurrently as NATO's...
       
       )
    3. European Command
       United States European Command
       The United States European Command is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russia, Iceland, Greenland, and Israel...
       
        (ADM
       Admiral (United States)
       In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
       
        James Stavridis
       James G. Stavridis
       James G. Stavridis is a United States Navy admiral who serves as the current Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The first Navy officer to hold these positions, he assumed command in early summer 2009. He previously served as Commander, U.S...
       
       )
    4. Northern Command
       United States Northern Command
       United States Northern Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military. Created on 1 October 2002 in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks, its mission is to protect the United States homeland and support local, state, and federal authorities...
       
        (GEN
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        Charles Jacoby
       Charles H. Jacoby, Jr.
       General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., USA is an American Army officer who is currently serving as the fifth Commander, United States Northern Command and the 22nd Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command . Jacoby is the first Army officer to assume command of Northern Command. He previously...
       
       )
    5. Pacific Command
       United States Pacific Command
       The United States Pacific Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States armed forces responsible for the Pacific Ocean area. It is led by the Commander, Pacific Command , who is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving...
       
        (ADM
       Admiral (United States)
       In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
       
        Robert Willard
       Robert F. Willard
       Robert F. Willard is a United States Navy admiral who serves as the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. He previously served as Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet from May 8, 2007 to September 25, 2009. Prior to that, he served as the 34th Vice Chief of Naval Operations from March 18, 2005 to April 2007...
       
       )
    6. Southern Command
       United States Southern Command
       The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
       
        (Gen
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        Donald Fraser
       Douglas M. Fraser
       Douglas Malcolm Fraser is a United States Air Force general who serves as the current Commander, U.S. Southern Command . He is the first Air Force officer to become USSOUTHCOM's combatant commander. He previously served as Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command from April 2008 to June 24, 2009...
       
       )
    7. Special Operations Command
       United States Special Operations Command
       The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
       
        (ADM
       Admiral (United States)
       In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
       
        William McRaven
       William H. McRaven
       William Harry McRaven is a United States Navyfour-star admiral who currently serves as ninth Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. He previously served...
       
       )
    8. Strategic Command
       United States Strategic Command
       United States Strategic Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense . The Command, including components, employs more than 2,700 people, representing all four services, including DoD civilians and contractors, who oversee the command's operationally...
       
        (Gen
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        Robert Kehler
       C. Robert Kehler
       General Claude Robert "Bob" Kehler, USAF is the current Commander, U.S. Strategic Command. He previously served as Commander, Air Force Space Command from October 12, 2007 to January 5, 2011. As commander of Air Force Space Command, he was responsible for the development, acquisition and operation...
       
       )
    9. Transportation Command
       United States Transportation Command
       The United States Transportation Command is one of nine unified commands of the United States Department of Defense. The mission of USTRANSCOM is to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war.USTRANSCOM, located at Scott Air Force...
       
        (Gen
       General (United States)
       In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
       
        William M. Fraser III
       William M. Fraser III
       General William M. Fraser III, USAF is the 10th and current Commander, U.S. Transportation Command. He previously served as Commander, Air Combat Command from September 10, 2009 to September 30, 2011...
       
       )
56. Generals of the Army
    General of the Army (United States)
    General of the Army is a five-star general officer and is the second highest possible rank in the United States Army. A special rank of General of the Armies, which ranks above General of the Army, does exist but has only been conferred twice in the history of the Army...
    
     (currently none), Generals of the Air Force
    General of the Air Force (United States)
    General of the Air Force is a five-star general officer rank and is the highest possible rank in the United States Air Force. General of the Air Force ranks immediately above a general and is equivalent to General of the Army in the United States Army and Fleet Admiral in the United States Navy;...
    
     (currently none), and Fleet Admirals (currently none)

External links

• Office of the Chief of Protocol from the U.S. State Department website
• Diplomatic List: Order of Precedence and Date of Presentation of Credentials (for foreign diplomats) from the U.S. State Department website