Know the Types of Government Agencies

There are several different types of agencies within the United States Government. A regulatory agency is generally part of the Government that has authority over a specific activity. Independent regulatory agencies are associated with the Government, however, they may receive little in the way of actual supervision. They are meant to function and carry out the tasks of the U.S. Government independently. Although they operate under the Federal Government, they are not a branch of the Government.

Independent regulatory agencies have tasks, such as performing investigations of audits, protecting consumer rights, and overseeing international trade. These tasks may prove to be very complex and time consuming, which is why they are generally performed by independent regulatory agencies, as opposed to the Federal Government itself. This allows for greater accuracy and the ability to ensure that legislation is being followed by all citizens.

For example, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency are types of independent regulatory agencies. These independent regulatory agencies are better equipped than the Federal Government to handle specific areas of legislation because they will have expertise in the specific areas.

This concept was introduced by the United States Government in 1887 in order to handle certain aspects of private life. These independent regulatory agencies will operate with little supervision from the Federal executive agencies. However, they still have the authority to enforce legislation. In some cases, they will also be able to create new legislation through suggestion and comment. An existing piece of legislation may be amended based on the suggestion of a Government agency.

Although they operate independently from the Government, most independent regulatory agencies are considered to be Federal executive agencies. This is because they operate under the Government. There are many Federal executive agencies that handle a variety of responsibilities. These tasks include protecting the environment, protecting consumers, managing America's space program, and gathering intelligence.

There are a select few independent regulatory agencies that are considered to be outside the realm of Federal executive agencies. They are the Library of Congress and the Congressional Budget Office. These Federal executive agencies are considered to be part of the legislative branch of agencies. The Library of Congress is an agency that manages the research library of the United States Government. The Congressional Budget Office will report directly to Congress with economic data on the United States.