Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
The Executive Branch at Work
Section 2
MAIN IDEA
Executive departments and independent agencies provide key services and
regulate important industries for the American people.
Key Terms
independent agencies government agencies that operate separately from the executive
departments
independent executive agencies independent agencies whose purpose is to oversee and
manage a specific aspect of the federal government
independent regulatory commissions independent agencies whose purpose is to
regulate some aspect of the economy
bipartisan including members from both major political parties
government corporations independent agencies that are organized and run like
businesses but are owned in whole or in part by the federal government
Taking Notes
As you read, take notes on the executive departments and independent
agencies. Record your notes in the graphic organizer below.
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Section 2 continued
Section Summary
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS
The 15 executive departments, which are headed by
members of the cabinet, employ about 60 percent of
all federal government employees. They are the
primary units of both administration and policymaking in the executive branch. Every department
focuses on its own general area of responsibility, and
smaller agencies within each department focus on
more specific issues. While the president has the
power to nominate high-level positions in these
departments, the Senate must confirm these
nominations. Congress also controls the departments’
duties, powers, and budgets.
THE DEPARTMENTS TODAY
Today, there are 15 executive departments. Each has
important goals and functions.
The goal of the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) is to protect Americans’ health. It
administers Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Agencies within HHS, such as the Food and Drug
Administration, carry out specific tasks.
The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible
for protecting the nation. It encompasses all members
of the armed forces, including those on active duty
and in the National Guard and Reserve, as well as
thousands of civilian employees. The DOD has the
largest budget of any executive department.
The Department of Homeland Security is the
newest executive department, created two years after
the attacks of September 11, 2001. This department is
the result of a reorganization of agencies responsible
for protecting Americans from further domestic
attacks, including border security, the Coast Guard,
and the Secret Service.
How is Congress involved
with the executive
departments?
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
What is an example of an
agency within an executive
department?
_______________________
_______________________
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
Besides the agencies within executive departments,
there are approximately 140 independent agencies,
which operate separately from the executive
departments. Each agency has been created by
Congress to meet a need that legislation cannot, and
ultimately remains under the control of Congress.
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Section 2 continued
Independent executive agencies oversee and
manage a specific aspect of the federal government.
Similar in power and sometimes in organization to
executive departments, these agencies often fulfill a
president’s strategic vision, as the Peace Corps did for
President John F. Kennedy. The National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) is another example
of an independent executive agency.
Independent regulatory commissions regulate
some aspect of the economy. They are run by three- to
seven-person boards whose members are nominated
by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Boards
must be bipartisan, or include members from both
major political parties. The commissions can create,
implement, and enforce its own laws, although
Congress can override them if necessary.
Government corporations are the third type of
independent agency, organized and run like businesses
but partially or fully owned by the federal
government. They are created when the government
recognizes that a private corporation cannot meet a
specific national need for a sufficient profit. The U.S.
Postal Service and AMTRAK are both government
corporations that were established when Congress
realized that geography was preventing private mail
and rail companies from offering affordable service to
all Americans.
POWER AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE
FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
The Constitution provides tools for ensuring the
accountability of the federal bureaucracy. The
president and Congress both exercise checks on the
federal bureaucracy. Over the years, Congress has
passed legislation to check agencies, including setting
guidelines for agency rules and making information
available to the public. However, sometimes agencies,
congressional committees, and interest groups form
alliances in which each group benefits from the
actions of the others. These relationships are labeled
iron triangles because outsiders, including the
president, cannot seem to penetrate it.
How does Congress
decide when to create a
government corporation?
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
How has Congress
checked the power of the
independent agencies?
_______________________
_______________________
Original content Copyright © by Holt McDougal. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
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