What is the special role of independent regulatory commissions in the federal bureaucracy?
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Journal Information Presidential Studies Quarterly (PSQ) is the only scholarly journal that focuses on the most powerful political figure in the world – the president of the United States. An indispensable resource for understanding the U.S. presidency, Presidential Studies Quarterly offers articles, features, review essays, and book reviews covering all aspects of the American presidency. PSQ's distinguished contributors are leading scholars and professionals in political science, history, and communications Show
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Independent AgenciesIndependent agencies closely resemble Cabinet departments, but they are smaller and less complex. Generally, they have narrower areas of responsibility than do Cabinet departments. Most of these agencies are not free from presidential control and are independent only in the sense that they are not part of a department. Congress creates them as separate agencies for many reasons, practical as well as symbolic. For example, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established, many members of Congress assumed that it would be a part of the Department of Defense. However, it is an independent agency because the space program has many other purposes than the defense of the nation. The ATF (now the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Justice in 2006. Regulatory AgenciesThese agencies regulate important parts of the economy, making rules for large industries and businesses that affect the interests of the public. Because regulatory commissions are "watchdogs" that by their very nature need to operate independently, they are not part of a department, and the President does not directly control most of them. Each commission has from 5 to 11 members appointed by the President, but the President cannot remove them for the length of their terms in office. Examples of these commissions are the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the stock market, brokers, and investment practices. Another well-known commission is the Federal Reserve Board that governs the nation's monetary policy. The Environmental Protection Agency serves as a guardian over the nation's environment, making and enforcing standards for the industrial and commercial sectors. With over 2,000 different agencies, the federal bureaucracy is almost certain to run into problems with organization, overlapping responsibilities, and efficiency. Almost every recent President has come into office determined to refashion and trim the bureaucracy. However, none has been able to make more than minor adjustments. Well-established agencies have lives of their own, and are difficult to change. Besides, the country has large, complex, needs requiring special attention. A large bureaucracy is a part of the government's attempt to meet those needs. NASA
Homepage Report broken link The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Report broken link U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Report broken link The Securities and Exchange Commission Report broken link Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Report broken link DefenseLink — The U.S. Department of Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff Report broken link The United States Department of Justice Report broken link U.S. State Department Report broken link United States Treasury Department Report broken link If you like our content, please share it on social media!What role do regulatory commissions play in government?regulatory agency, independent governmental body established by legislative act in order to set standards in a specific field of activity, or operations, in the private sector of the economy and then to enforce those standards.
What is the meaning of an independent regulatory commission?The term 'independent regulatory agency' means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal ...
What are the main roles and functions of the independent agencies?In general, independent agencies are tasked with administering laws and federal regulations that apply to specific areas such as the environment, social security, homeland security, education, and veteran affairs.
What is an independent agency bureaucracy?More specifically, the term is used to describe agencies that, while constitutionally part of the executive branch, are independent of presidential control, usually because the president's power to dismiss the agency head or a member is limited.
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