Independent Government Agencies

These are independent organizations tasked with doing something on behalf of the government.
- Can only be created by an act of Congress
- Usually created for specialized tasks to complex or cumbersome to be legislated
- Congress retains oversight
- Agencies have quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial power

The text identifies 3 types of agencies
   - independent executive agencies
   - independent regulatory commissions
   - government corporations

Okay, technically Education and Commerce are Executive Departments, not agencies. But still, a classic moment.

Independent Executive Agencies
- Similar to executive departments
- Not Cabinet level
- Administered by the executive branch; President appoints head of agency
- Congress retains oversight
- Example: NASA

Independent Regulatory Commission
- Created to help regulate some aspect of the economy
- Governed by board; members of board nominated by President (and ......)
- Board composition must be bipartisan
- Creates rules and enforces rules (judge, jury, and executioner)
- Examples: ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission), SEC (other SEC: Securities & Exchange Commission), FCC (Federal Communications Commission) 

Government Corporations
- Operate under traditional business model
- Differences: owned by government; service v profit
- Purpose: provide service to American people
- Examples: Amtrak, USPS

Bureaucracy

If it is associated with the federal government and has:
  - a formal structure
  - a division of labor
  - a set of rules/procedures by which it operates
then it is most likely a part of the bureaucracy.

All organized under the Executive Branch
Employs about 2.7 million people
Top administrators are political appointees
Most other bureaucrats are knowledgeable/skilled employees



Civil Service
  the civilians who carry out the work of the federal government (i.e.-postal carrier)
Originally staffed by people friendly with the President (spoils system)
Reformed by the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 (competitive hiring based on merit)

Executive Departments
Major units of administration and policy making
Headed by Secretary
Account for roughly 60% of all government employees
Often smaller departments within each executive department
Only 3 departments to start with (State, Treasury, War)
New departments often created when issues became to big for Congress to legislate solutions
Currently 15 departments (see chart on p.198-199); Can you identify problem/response?
HHS is a good case-study on functioning of Executive Departments (read on p.197-198)
Homeland Security is the most recent addition
Defense Department is largest Executive Department by far
     over 3 million employees and budget of $480 billion in 2008