Learn
From the governor to the agencies
Who implements the laws and how the work is distributed.
Implementation takes many forms
The governor heads the executive branch. Departments and other entities administer programs, deliver services, regulate, and perform tasks assigned by law. The Constitution identifies executive departments and allows others to be created or reorganized by statute.
An appointment has several steps
Article IV sets rules for appointments and Senate advice and consent. Individual offices can also have particular statutory requirements. Distinguish nomination, confirmation, and assumption of office. A press release announcing a person does not, by itself, prove every step or establish that the person still holds the position.
Leadership and autonomy
Not every public entity operates as an office under a secretary. Some have governing boards, statutory terms, or administrative autonomy. Others are attached to a department for specific purposes. The map therefore distinguishes components, attachments, and appointment powers. To understand authority, inspect the documented relationship rather than the distance between two boxes.
An example: appointment rules within the Family Department differ
The Family Department coordinates ADFAN, ADSEF, ACUDEN, and ASUME. The Secretary of the Family appoints the ADFAN, ADSEF, and ACUDEN administrators in consultation with the governor. ASUME’s organic law instead provides for appointment by the governor with Senate advice and consent. Belonging to one department does not make every office’s appointment rules identical.
Plan 1-1995, arts. 5–9 and Act 5-1986, art. 5. Sources checked October 18, 2026.
Compare the Family Department and ASUME profiles, then follow the relationships on ASUME’s map.
Check your understanding: Are nomination and confirmation the same act?
No. They are separate steps; the process depends on the rules governing the office.