Independent Agencies

Most departments have several agencies and offices within them. There are, however, several executive branch agencies that are independent and unattached to any department. These agencies are generally smaller than departments, but many departments were agencies before they were elevated to department status. They are independent in that they are not attached to an executive branch department— they remain accountable to the Congress and the president. Examples of independent agencies include the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Social Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Some independent agencies, such as the Office of Personnel Management, the General Accounting Office and the Government Services Administration, exist solely to oversee the operations of the national government, its departments, and other agencies.

Independent Regulatory Commissions

Several independent regulatory boards and commissions have been created by the Congress. They are purposely insulated from presidential influence to keep them as free from political and partisan influences as possible. Their independence rests largely on the inability of the president or the Congress to remove their appointed heads unless they are guilty of gross inefficiency, neglecting their duties, or violating the law. These boards and commissions include the Securities and Exchange Commission, which oversees the stock markets, the Federal Reserve Board, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board.