Agency / Department (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms

Agency

two chairs
Creative Commons License photo credit: independentman

Agency: No one definition of this term has general, governmentwide applicability. “Agency” and related terms, like “executive agency” or “federal agency,” are defined in different ways in different laws and regulations. For example, the provisions of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 relating to the preparation of the President’s budget specifically define “agency” to include the District of Columbia government but exclude the legislative branch or the Supreme Court (31 U.S.C. § 1101).

A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies – USA.gov

 
 


The Lawmaking Power of Federal Agencies

 
 

Department refers to one of the 15 executive branch Departments. The head of each Department is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Department heads are also called “Secretary” except for the head of the Justice Department who is the “Attorney General” of the United States, and they are members of the President’s Cabinet.

See “Official US Executive Branch Web Sites” from the Library of Congress.

 


Administrative State is THE Leading Threat to Civil Liberties of Our Era.’

 

More

 
 


Types of Bureaucracies: Crash Course Government and Politics

 
 

Courses

 
 

Publications


Testifying Before Congress

Testifying Before Congress


Pocket Constitution

Pocket Constitution


Citizen's Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials

Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials: A Guide for Citizen Lobbyists and Grassroots Advocates


Congressional Procedure

Congressional Procedure

 
 

CongressionalGlossary.com, from TheCapitol.Net






For more than 40 years, TheCapitol.Net and its predecessor, Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences, have been teaching professionals from government, military, business, and NGOs about the dynamics and operations of the legislative and executive branches and how to work with them.

Our custom on-site and online training, publications, and audio courses include congressional operations, legislative and budget process, communication and advocacy, media and public relations, testifying before Congress, research skills, legislative drafting, critical thinking and writing, and more.

TheCapitol.Net is on the GSA Schedule, MAS, for custom on-site and online training. GSA Contract GS02F0192X

TheCapitol.Net is now owned by the Sunwater Institute.

Teaching how Washington and Congress work ™

Select publications from TheCapitol.Net