Executive Department and Independent Agencies
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Transcript Executive Department and Independent Agencies
Executive Department
and Independent Agencies
Learning Objectives
Explain the background and history of the executive
departments
Identify and describe the responsibilities of the 14 executive
departments
Explain the background and history of the independent
agencies
Identify and describe the responsibilities of some key
independent agencies.
Words to Know
Embassy – the office and official home of a country’s
ambassador
Consulate – the official home of a consul; a consul is a
government official sent to a foreign country to protect the
home country’s business interest and its citizens
Customs duty – a government tax on imported goods
Enforce – to make someone at something obey a rule or
law
Words to Know (con’t.)
Immigration – the act of entering and settling in a
country not of one’s birth
Conservation – the act of keeping the natural
environment safe and protected
Patent – the official right given to an inventor to make or
sell an invention for a certain time without being copies
Administer – to manage or have charge of
Words to Know (con’t.)
Veteran – a person who has served in the country’s armed
forces
Independent agency – a government body or group that
is free from control of the three branches of government
Regulate – to control by rule or method
Commerce – any trade or business activity
Words to Know (con’t.)
Civilian – not involving the armed forces
Bureaucracy – a large government organization made up
of many offices and bureaus
The Beginnings of the
Executive Departments
In 1789, the first Congress set up 3 executive departments
a.) State
b.) Treasury
c.) War
The position of Attorney General was also created then
Federal government work has increased over the years
Congress has added new departments
Today there are 14 executive departments
* see handout
Organization and Duties
Each head of the department is called the Secretary
In the Justice Department the head is call the Attorney
General
The head of departments are appointed by the President
and have to be approved by Senate
They are all members of the President’s Cabinet
They have many jobs
a. report on activities
b. carry out the President’s policies
c. testify before Congress
d. seek money from budget committee
e. ask for support for new programs
Each department has a top assistant called
a. under secretary or
b. deputy secretary
They also have assistant secretaries
The deputies and assistants are also appointed by President
and approved by Senate
Within each executive department there are many smaller
agencies call
a. bureaus
b. offices
c. services or
d. divisions
The main office is in DC
Others spread across the country for people to have easier
access.
Department of State
Established 1789
Responsibilities
a. Serves as Presidents right arm in foreign relations
b. Advises President on foreign policy
c. manages embassies and consulates around the world
Major Agencies
a. Bureau of European Affairs
b. Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
c. Bureau of Consular Affairs
Department of Treasury
Established 1789
Responsibilities
a. Collects taxes and custom duties
b. Borrows and repays money for federal government
c. Prints money and coins
d. Manages banks
Major Agencies
a. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
b. US Custom Service
c. US Secret Service
Department of Interior
Established 1849
Responsibilities
a. Manages 500 million acres of public land
b. Manages national parks and
American Indian Reservations
c. Plans conservation, development
and use of natural and wildlife
Major Agencies
a. Bureau of Land Management
b. National Park Service
c. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Department of Justice
Established 1870
Responsibilities
a. Gives legal advice to President
b. Represents United States in court
c. Enforces federal criminal laws, civil rights, antitrust,
and immigration laws
d. Manages federal prison system
Major Agencies
a. FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
b. Civil Rights Division
c. Immigration and Naturalization
d. DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
Department of Agriculture
Established 1889
Responsibilities
a. Helps farmers plan and use farming methods
b. Inspects and grades meat, poultry, and dairy
c. Run school lunch programs for low-income families
Major Agencies
a. FHA (Farmers Home Administration)
b. Food and Safety Inspection Service
c. Agricultural Research Service
Department of Commerce
Established 1913
Responsibilities
a. Promotes trade between US and other countries
b. Help grow economy
c. Does US census
d. Issues patents
Major Agencies
a. International Trade Administration
b. Bureau of Census
c. Patent and Trademark Office
d. National Weather Service
Department of Labor
Established 1916
Responsibilities
a. Enforces federal labor laws
b. Provides benefits to workers and the unemployed
c. Set health and safety standards
Major Agencies
a. Employment and Training Administration
b. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
c. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Department of Defense
Established 1949
Responsibilities
a. Controls nation’s armed forces
b. Advises President on all military and
National Security
c. Supervises improvement of nation’s rivers and harbors
Major Agencies
a. Department of Army
b. Department of Navy
c. Department of Air Force
d. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of Housing and Urban
Development
Established 1965
Responsibilities
a. Helps US cities in area of housing
b. Gives financial aid to cities to repair buildings
c. Helps local governments repair water and sewer
systems and fight air pollution
Major Agencies
a. HUD – directed by assistant secretaries+
1. Assistant Secretary for Community Planning
and Development
2. Assistant Secretary for Housing
3. Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing
Department of Transportation
Established 1966
Responsibilities
a. Enforces law on air, sea, rail, and highway safety
b. Maintains highways and railways
c. Provides financial help to state and local governments
to build and develop bus and railway systems
Major Agencies
a. Federal Aviation Association
b. US Coast Guard
c. Federal Highway Administration
d. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Department of Energy
Established 1977
Responsibilities
a. To find, protect, and conserve the country’s
sources of energy
b. Regulates the use of nuclear power
Major Agencies – Programs administered by
assistant secretaries
a. Conservation and Renewable Energy
b. Defense Programs
c. Nuclear Energy
Department of Education
Established 1979
Responsibilities
a. Provides financial help for all levels of education
b. Administers programs for grades K-12 and colleges
c. Provides aid for programs for handicapped,
disadvantaged, and gifted students
d. Publishes information and
statistics about schools
Major Agencies – Programs administered by
assistant secretaries
a. Elementary and Secondary Education
b. Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
c. Education Research and Improvement
Department of Health and Human Services
Established 1979
Responsibilities
a. Manages health and welfare
programs for all Americans
b. Provides social security
c. Provides aid to handicapped people
d. Conducts medical research
Major Agencies
a. Social Security Administration
b. Health Care Financing Administration
c. Public Health Service
Department of Veterans Affairs
Established 1988
Responsibilities
a. Operate programs to benefit veterans and their families
b. Provides financial help for education,
medical care, and home loan purchases
Major Agencies
a. Veterans Benefits Administration
b. Veterans Health Services and Research Administration
c. National Cemetery System
The Independent Agencies
and Commissions
The federal government has more than 70 independent
agencies
The President appoints the head of these agencies
Senate has to approve these appointments and budgets
for agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Established 1970
Responsibilities
a. to protect the country’s environment
b. enforces the laws that to keep our air and water
clean from pollution
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)
Established 1958
Responsibilities
a. in charge of America’s space program
b. puts satellites and rockets into orbit
c. space shuttle program
d. makes contributions to
industry and medicine
United States Postal Service
Established 1971
Responsibilities
a. runs the nations mail system
b. Postmaster General is head of the service
ACTION
Established 1971
Responsibilities
a. an “umbrella agency”
b. Peace Corps
1. set up in 1961
2. help develop relations between US and
countries
3. trains volunteers as teachers,
farmers, engineers, and other jobs
c. VISTA
1. Volunteers in Service to America
2. helps needy people in the US
Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
Established 1887
Responsibilities
a. regulates all commerce carried between states
b. issues licenses for companies to operate
c. set rates they charge
d. sets safety rules
Federal Trade Commission
Established 1914
Responsibilities
a. prevents unfair trading practices in business
b. enforces laws against price fixing, false labeling,
and untrue claims in advertising
c. checks products for safety
before they are put on market
Federal Communication Commission
Established 1914
Responsibilities
a. regulates all radio and television stations
b. makes sure stations have licenses
c. decides who can use the communication satellites
d. regulates telephone and telegraph
rates
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Established 1972
Responsibilities
a. protects consumers from unsafe
products that can cause
illness, death, or injury
b. sets and enforces safety standards
c. regulates standards for appliances, baby clothes,
sports equipment, and toys
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Established 1975
Responsibilities
a. Licenses and regulates all
civilian nuclear power plants
and nuclear materials
b. makes sure nuclear power is
used peacefully and safely
c. also conducts research to
find newer and safer ways
of using nuclear power
The Federal Bureaucracy
The President’s executive team, executive departments,
and the independent agencies make up the Federal
Bureaucracy.
* See handout