What are Administrative Agencies?

Federal administrative agencies are bodies implicitly authorized by the US Constitution and created by Congress to enforce statutes and develop regulations in furtherance of those statutes. 

What do Administrative Agencies do?

Administrative agencies assist the legislative branch in developing and the executive branch in executing laws. 

Administrative agencies include departments, agencies, commissions, bureaus, boards, government corporations, and committees. 

Most administrative agencies fall under the control of the executive branch. 

There are, however, a few administrative agencies that are directly under the control of Congress, such as the Congressional Budget Office, (Government Accountability Office/Comptroller General), and the Library of Congress. 

The authority of the President over an administrative agency depends upon the genesis of the agency and whether it is an executive agency or independent agency.

What are Executive Agencies?

The US Constitution establishes the executive branch of the federal government and allows the President to establish employ agencies to carry out the executive function. Executive agencies include all of the departments under the Presidents authority. The heads of the executive agencies are cabinet members who report directly to and are closely controlled by the President. The President nominates individuals to these positions and the Senate must approve these nominations by a simple majority vote. The President has complete discretion in removing these individuals from their positions.

• Example: Examples of Executive Agencies include: Department of Commerce (DOC); Department of Defense (DOD); Department of Justice (DOJ); Department of State (DOS); Department of the Treasury (Treasury); Department of Transportation (DOT); Department of Homeland Security (DOHS); Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Department of Energy (DOE); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Executive Office of the President (EOP);

What are Independent Agencies?

Independent agencies, as the name implies, operate with a degree of independence or autonomy from the executive branch. These agencies are not part of the President's cabinet; rather, they exist independently pursuant to congressional statute. Congress will pass what is known as an enabling statute, that establishes an administrative agency and outlines the extent of the agency's authority.

• Example: Independent federal agencies include the: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Federal Communication Commission (FCC); Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC); Social Security Administration (SSA); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Federal Reserve Board of Governors (Federal Reserve); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); General Services Administration (GSA); International Trade Commission (ITC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); United States Postal Service (USPS); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Federal Election Commission (FEC); National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); National Science Foundation (NSF); Small Business Administration (SBA); Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Executive and independent agencies carry on similar functions; however, an independent agency generally has more of a regulatory function, where an executive agency plays more of an enforcement role. 

Related Topics

• What are the functions of Agencies?
• What is the authority for Administrative Agencies?
• How are administrative Agencies Organized?
• How are key agency personnel appointed and removed?