A government agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. The Machinery of Government (sometimes MOG) means the interconnected structures and processes of Government, such as the functions and accountability of departments An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to the Information gathering (known in the context as " intelligence " There is a notable variety of types of agency. Although usage differs, a government agency is normally distinct both from a Department or Ministry, and other types of public body established by government. A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of Government Public administration, sometimes led by a minister, but usually a senior For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The functions of an agency are normally executive in character since different types of organisation (such as commissions) are normally used for advisory functions, but this distinction is often blurred in practice. Commissioner is a designation that may be used for a variety of official positions especially referring to a high-ranked public (administrative or Police) official or an analogous
A government agency may be established by either a national government or a state government within a federal system. (The term is not normally used for an organization created by the powers of a local government body. ) Agencies can be established by legislation or by executive powers. The autonomy, independence and accountability of government agencies also vary widely.
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History
Early examples of organizations that would now be termed a government agency include the British Navy Board, responsible for ships and supplies, which was established[1] 1546 by King Henry VIII and the British "Commissioners of Bankruptcy" established[2] in 1570. The Navy Board is today the body responsible for the day-to-day running of the British Royal Navy. The United States Library of Congress was founded[3] in 1800 and is, unusually, an agency of the legislative branch of government. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress
From 1933, the New Deal saw rapid growth in US federal agencies, the "alphabet agencies" as they were used to deliver new programs mandated by legislation, such as federal emergency relief. The New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D In 1933 President Franklin D Roosevelt launched his New Deal to deal with the Great Depression. FERA is an acronym for any of the following Federal Emergency Relief Administration -a program in the USA similar to unemployment-relief efforts of the
From the 1980s, as part of New Public Management, several countries including Australia and the United Kingdom developed the use of agencies to improve efficiency in public services. NPM redirects here For other uses see NPM (disambiguation New Public Management is a Management philosophy used by governments
Government agencies of Canada
Government agencies of Germany
Government agencies of India
- See also Government of India
The term agency in India has several meanings. The following list outlines the Structure of the Canadian federal government. Federal agencies in Germany are established to assist the administration of the federal government. For example, the Cabinet Secretariat describes itself[4] as a "nodal agency for coordination amongst the ministries of the Govt. A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. of India". Most notably as an international feature, what appear to be independent agencies (or apex agencies) include some that have active roles for Ministers: such as, the National Security Council, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the Planning Commission, which is chaired ex-officio by the Prime Minister. The National Security Council (NSC of India is the apex agency looking into the political economic energy and strategic security concerns of India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research ( ICAR) New Delhi, India is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education The Planning Commission is an institution in the Government of India, which formulates India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions
Government agencies of Norway
Government agencies of Sweden
The Government agencies in Sweden are state controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Swedish Government. The Government agencies of Norway are state controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Government of Norway. The Government agencies in Sweden are state controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Swedish Government. The Government Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct orders. A Minister is explicitly prohibited from interfering with the day-to-day operation in an agency or the outcome in individual cases. While no minister is allowed to give orders to agencies personally, they are subject to decisions made by the Government.
Government agencies of the United Kingdom
Agencies in the United Kingdom are either Executive Agencies answerable to government ministers or non-departmental public bodies answerable directly to one of the parliaments or devolved assemblies of the United Kingdom. An executive agency, also known as a next-step agency, is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate in order to carry out some The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located An executive agency, also known as a next-step agency, is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate in order to carry out some A minister or a secretary is a Politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional Government. In the United Kingdom, a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury and Scottish Government TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A parliament is a Legislature, especially in those A deliberative assembly is an Organization, comprising of members that uses Parliamentary procedure for making decisions
Agencies can be created by enabling legislation by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Scottish Parliament or the National Assembly for Wales. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales.
Agencies in England usually answer to Westminster or the British Government. In Scotland they usually answer to the Scottish Executive or the Scottish Parliament and in Wales to the National Assembly for Wales. The Scottish Government (SG ( Scottish Gaelic: Riaghaltas na h-Alba) is the executive arm of the government of Scotland.
Some have remits that cover the entire UK and these organisations are funded by and answer to the British Government.
Government agencies in the United States
The Congress and President of the United States delegate specific authority to government agencies to regulate the complex facets of the modern American federal state. This is an incomplete list of United States federal agencies. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by This article is for the legal term For regulation of genes see Regulation of gene expression. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A federal republic is a Federation of States with a republican form of government Also, most of the 50 U.S. states have created similar government agencies, but with limited, state-level regulatory power. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The term "government agency" is usually applied to
- Independent agencies of the United States government that exercise some degree of independence from the President's control. Independent agencies of the United States government are those that exist outside of the departments of the Executive branch. Although the heads of Independent Agencies are often appointed by the President, they can usually can be removed only for cause. The heads of Independent Agencies work together in groups, such as a commission, board or council. Independent Agencies often function as miniature versions of the tripartite federal government with the authority to legislate (through the issuing, or "promulgation" of regulations), to adjudicate disputes, and to enforce agency regulations (through enforcement personnel). This article refers to the separation of powers specifically in the United States Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing This article is for the legal term For regulation of genes see Regulation of gene expression. Adjudication is the legal process by which an arbiter or Judge reviews evidence and argumentation including legal Reasoning Coming into force (also called enforcement or enactment) is a term that refers to the process by which Legislation, or part of legislation and Examples of independent agencies include the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The US Securities and Exchange Commission (commonly known as the SEC) is an independent agency of the United States government which holds primary responsibility The National Labor Relations Board (or NLRB) is an Independent agency of the United States Government charged with conducting The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act
Most federal agencies are created by Congress through statutes called "enabling statutes", that define the scope of an agency's authority. A statute is a formal written enactment of a Legislative authority that governs a Country, State, City, or County. Because the Constitution does not expressly mention federal agencies (as it does the three branches), some commentators have called agencies the "headless fourth branch" of the federal government. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. However, most independent agencies are technically part of the executive branch, with a few located in the legislative branch of government. By enacting the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in 1946, Congress established some means to oversee government agency action. The federal Administrative Procedure Act (APA of 1946 governs the way in which administrative agencies of the United States federal government may propose The APA established uniform administrative law procedures for a federal agency's promulgation of rules, and adjudication of claims. Administrative law is the body of Law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of Government. The APA also sets forth the process for judicial review of agency action. Judicial review is the power of the courts to annul the acts of the executive and/or the legislative power where it finds them incompatible with a higher norm
A broader definition of the term also encompasses:
- United States Federal Executive Departments that include the President's cabinet-level departments, and their sub-units. The United States federal executive departments are among the oldest primary units of the Executive branch of the Federal government of the United States &mdashthe The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet" is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive branch of the Federal government
References
- ^ A brief history of the Royal Navy, Royal Navy Museum, accessed at [1] June 9, 2006
- ^ Macleavy, J. and O. Gay (2005) The Quango Debate, House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/30, p. 8 accessed at [2] June 9, 2006
- ^ General information, Library of Congress, accessed at [3] June 9, 2006
- ^ Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India at[4], accessed June 16, 2006
Further reading
- Machinery of Government Reform: Principles and Practice in "The Organisation of Central Government Departments: A History 1964-1992", ESRC Whitehall Programme at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. (accessed June 9, 2006)
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