Appointment and Confirmation of Executive Branch Leadership: An Overview

"The Constitution divides the responsibility for populating the top positions in the executive branch of the federal government between the President and the Senate. Article II, Section 2 empowers the President to nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint the principal officers of the United States, as well as some subordinate officers.
These positions are generally filled through the advice and consent process, which can be divided into three stages:
• First, the White House selects and clears a prospective appointee before sending a formal nomination to the Senate.
• Second, the Senate determines whether to confirm a nomination. For most nominations, much of this process occurs at the committee level.
 • Third, the confirmed nominee is given a commission and sworn into office, after which he or she has full authority to carry out the duties of the office.
Executive branch appointments