Independent Agencies and Regulatory Commissions6 slides of notes

Independent Agencies

•Agencies Congress has set up to help the president perform his duties.

•Separate from executive departments because the perform specialized duties that may cross over several departments.

•More than 60 agencies

Examples

•Commission of Civil Rights – collects information about discrimination

•Farm Credit Administration – help farmers obtain loans

•Small Business Administration – gives small business loans

•National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – runs space program

Regulatory Commissions

•Independent Agencies that have the power to make rules and bring violators to court – their decisions have the force of law.

Examples

•Interstate Commerce Commission – oldest reg com; regulates railroad, bus, truck, and water transportation that crosses state lines

•Consumer Product Safety Commission – sets safety standards on consumer products

•Securities and Exchange Commission – enforce laws regulating the buying and selling of stocks and bonds

Who runs them?

•The head of each commission is appointed by the president and approved by the Senate.

•The serve long terms – up to 14 years

Bureaucracy

All the departments and agencies of the executive branch form the bureaucracy.

Many rules and regulations to get work done called bureaucratic delay or “red tape”.

Name that Agency!

•USDA▫United States Department of Agriculture

•HUD▫Housing and Urban Development

•IRS▫Internal Revenue Service

•CDC▫Center for Disease Control

•FDA ▫Food and Drug Administration

•DEA▫Drug Enforcement Agency

•FBI ▫Federal Bureau of Investigation

• INS ▫Immigration and Naturalization Service

•OSHA ▫Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

•FAA ▫Federal Aviation Administration

•NHTSA ▫National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration•VA

▫Veteran’s Affairs