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GovernmentagencyWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Governmentagency
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Agovernmentorstateagency,oftenanappointedcommission,isapermanentorsemipermanent
organizationinthemachineryofgovernmentthatisresponsiblefortheoversightandadministrationofspecific
functions,suchasanintelligenceagency.Thereisanotablevarietyofagencytypes.Althoughusagediffers,a
governmentagencyisnormallydistinctbothfromadepartmentorministry,andothertypesofpublicbody
establishedbygovernment.Thefunctionsofanagencyarenormallyexecutiveincharacter,sincedifferent
typesoforganizations(suchascommissions)aremostoftenconstitutedinanadvisoryrolethisdistinctionis
oftenblurredinpracticehowever.
Agovernmentagencymaybeestablishedbyeitheranationalgovernmentorastategovernmentwithina
federalsystem.Thetermisnotnormallyusedforanorganizationcreatedbythepowersofalocalgovernment
body.Agenciescanbeestablishedbylegislationorbyexecutivepowers.Theautonomy,independenceand
accountabilityofgovernmentagenciesalsovarywidely.ThefederalagenciesestablishthroughouttheU.S.
AlsoNewYorkCityin1845wasoneoffewfederalagencies

Contents
1 History
2 Canada
3 France
4 Germany
5 Greece
6 India
7 RussianFederation
8 Sweden
9 UnitedKingdom
10 UnitedStates
11 Seealso
12 References
13 Furtherreading
14 Externallinks

History
EarlyexamplesoforganizationsthatwouldnowbetermedagovernmentagencyincludetheBritishNavy
Board,responsibleforshipsandsupplies,whichwasestablished[1]in1546byKingHenryVIIIandtheBritish
CommissionersofBankruptcyestablished[2]in1570.
From1933,theNewDealsawrapidgrowthinUSfederalagencies,the"alphabetagencies"astheywereused
todelivernewprogramsmandatedbylegislation,suchasfederalemergencyrelief.
Fromthe1980s,aspartofNewPublicManagement,severalcountriesincludingAustraliaandtheUnited
Kingdomdevelopedtheuseofagenciestoimproveefficiencyinpublicservices.

Canada
France
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AdministrativelawinFrancereferstoautoritadministrativeindpendante(AAI)orIndependent
AdministrativeAuthorities.Theytendtobeprominentinthefollowingareasofpublicpolicy
Economicandfinancialregulation
Informationandcommunication
Defenceofcitizens'rights
IndependentAdministrativeAuthoritiesinFrancemaynotbeinstructedororderedtotakespecificactionsby
government.

Germany
Greece
TheGeneralSecretariatforMacedoniaandThrace(Greek:),
previouslyMinistryforMacedoniaandThrace(Greek:)isagovernment
agencyoftheHellenicRepublicthatisresponsiblefortheGreekregionsofMacedoniaandThrace.

India
ThetermagencyinIndiahasseveralmeaningsforexample,theCabinetandtheparliamentSecretariat
describesitself[3]asa"nodalagencyforcoordinationamongsttheministriesoftheGovt.ofIndia".Most
notablyasaninternationalfeature,whatappeartobeindependentagencies(orapexagencies)includesome
thathaveactiverolesforMinisters:suchas,theNationalSecurityCouncil,theIndianCouncilofAgricultural
Research,andthePlanningCommission,whichischairedexofficiobythePrimeMinister.

RussianFederation
Russiahashadmanygovernmentagenciesthroughoutitshistory.TheUSSRhadthesecretiveKGB.Today,
RussiangovernmentagenciessuchastheFSB,FSO,andtheGRUuseSpetsnazorothermaskedoperatorsfor
anymissions.OtherorganizationsincludeKremlinandpresidentialsecurity.

Sweden
TheGovernmentagenciesinSwedenarestatecontrolledorganizationswhoactindependentlytocarryoutthe
policiesoftheSwedishGovernment.TheGovernmentMinistriesarerelativelysmallandmerelypolicy
makingorganizations,allowedtocontrolagenciesbypolicydecisionsbutnotbydirectorders.Thismeansthat
whiletheagenciesaresubjecttodecisionsmadebytheGovernment,Ministersisexplicitlyprohibited(so
called"ministerstyre")frominterferingwiththedaytodayoperationinanagencyortheoutcomeinindividual
cases.

UnitedKingdom
AgenciesintheUnitedKingdomareeitherexecutiveagenciesanswerabletogovernmentministersornon
departmentalpublicbodiesanswerabledirectlytooneoftheparliamentsordevolvedassembliesoftheUnited
Kingdom.TheyarealsocommonlyknownasQuangos.
AgenciescanbecreatedbyenablinglegislationbytheParliamentoftheUnitedKingdom,ScottishParliament
ortheNationalAssemblyforWales.
AgenciesinEnglandusuallyanswertoWestminsterortheBritishGovernment.InScotlandtheyusuallyanswer
totheScottishGovernmentortheScottishParliamentandinWalestotheNationalAssemblyforWales.
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SomehaveremitsthatcovertheentireUKandtheseorganisationsarefundedbyandanswertotheBritish
Government.

UnitedStates
TheCongressandPresidentoftheUnitedStatesdelegatespecificauthoritytogovernmentagenciestoregulate
thecomplexfacetsofthemodernAmericanfederalstate.Also,mostofthe50U.S.stateshavecreatedsimilar
governmentagencies.
Theterm"governmentagency"or"administrativeagency"usuallyappliestooneoftheindependentagencies
oftheUnitedStatesgovernment,whichexercisesomedegreeofindependencefromthePresident'scontrol.
Althoughtheheadsofindependentagenciesareoftenappointedbythegovernment,theycanusuallybe
removedonlyforcause.Theheadsofindependentagenciesworktogetheringroups,suchasacommission,
boardorcouncil.Independentagenciesoftenfunctionasminiatureversionsofthetripartitefederalgovernment
withtheauthoritytolegislate(throughtheissuing,or"promulgation"ofregulations),toadjudicatedisputes,
andtoenforceagencyregulations(throughenforcementpersonnel).Examplesofindependentagenciesinclude
theFederalCommunicationCommission(FCC),FederalReserveBoard,U.S.SecuritiesandExchange
Commission(SEC),theNationalLaborRelationsBoard(NLRB)andtheFederalTradeCommission(FTC).
Abroaderdefinitionoftheterm"governmentagency"alsomeanstheUnitedStatesfederalexecutive
departmentsthatincludethePresident'scabinetleveldepartments,andtheirsubunits.Examplesofthese
agenciesincludetheDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)andtheInternalRevenueService(IRS),whichisabureauof
theDepartmentoftheTreasury.
MostfederalagenciesarecreatedbyCongressthroughstatutescalled"enablingacts"whichdefinethescopeof
anagency'sauthority.BecausetheConstitutiondoesnotexpresslymentionfederalagencies(asitdoesthethree
branches),somecommentatorshavecalledagenciesthe"headlessfourthbranch"ofthefederalgovernment.
However,mostindependentagenciesaretechnicallypartoftheexecutivebranch,withafewlocatedinthe
legislativebranchofgovernment.ByenactingtheAdministrativeProcedureAct(APA)in1946,Congress
establishedsomemeanstooverseegovernmentagencyaction.TheAPAestablisheduniformadministrativelaw
proceduresforafederalagency'spromulgationofrules,andadjudicationofclaims.TheAPAalsosetsforththe
processforjudicialreviewofagencyaction.

Seealso
ClassificationoftheFunctionsofGovernment
Governmentownedcorporation
Regulatoryagency
Statutoryauthority
Statutorycorporation

References
1.AbriefhistoryoftheRoyalNavy,RoyalNavyMuseum,accessedat[1](http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_she
ets_naval_history.htm)June9,2006
2.Macleavy,J.andO.Gay(2005)TheQuangoDebate,HouseofCommonsLibraryResearchPaper05/30,p.8
accessedat[2](http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2005/rp05030.pdf)June9,2006
3.CabinetSecretariat,GovernmentofIndiaat[3](http://cabsec.nic.in/),accessedJune16,2006

Furtherreading
MachineryofGovernmentReform:PrinciplesandPractice(http://www.nuff.ox.ac.uk/politics/whitehall/
Machinery.html)in"TheOrganisationofCentralGovernmentDepartments:AHistory19641992",
ESRCWhitehallProgrammeatNuffieldCollege,UniversityofOxford.(accessedJune9,2006)
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Externallinks
EncyclopedicDictionaryofPublicAdministration,Agency(http://www.dictionnaire.enap.ca/Dictionnair
e/17/Index_par_mot.enap?&by=word&id=5&lng=en)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Government_agency&oldid=736014057"
Categories: Governmentagencies Independentgovernmentagenciesbycountry
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