Do you want to learn more about the world and its regions? Our collection of maps can help you understand the geography of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. If you need more information, our encyclopedia provides thousands of topics, from biographies to items. Are you interested in the legendary conflict between Argives and Trojans? Or do you want to know more about one of the oldest and most popular religions? There are several administrative divisions of government that enforce and administer laws and regulations. These agencies are not mentioned in the Constitution, but they are considered an extension of the United States.
Here is a list of some of the most important agencies. The Cabinet and independent federal agencies are responsible for the day-to-day application and administration of federal laws. These departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities that range from the Department of Defense to the Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, and Securities and Exchange Commission. The statute provides clear guidelines for the objectives for which the agency should work and specifies the extent to which an independent agency can exercise regulatory authority.
Independent federal agency is a term used to describe an executive agency that operates with a certain degree of autonomy from the executive branch. Independent agencies are not subject to direct control by the president or executive branch, unlike executive agencies. In most cases, Congress creates an independent agency to oversee an area that is too complex and dynamic to be regulated by a statute or included within an existing administrative agency. Independent agencies differ from other departments and agencies of the executive branch primarily in their composition, function, and degree of control by the president.
Belonging to the executive branch of government, independent agencies are overseen by Congress, but operate more autonomously than federal agencies headed by members of the Cabinet, such as the Departments of State or Treasury, which must report directly to the president. If an independent agency exercises executive powers, such as rulemaking, Congress cannot participate in the removal of commissioners from an independent agency. Unlike most executive branch agencies, which are overseen by a single secretary, administrator or director appointed by the president, independent agencies are generally controlled by a committee or board composed of five to seven people who share power equally. In addition, the organizational structure of independent executive agencies allows them to create their own rules and performance standards, deal with conflicts, and discipline employees who violate agency regulations.
