U3C7:The Executive Branch at Work Civics

Essential Question What are the functions of the executive departments and independent agencies?

The Federal Bureaucracy What is a bureaucracy? Any organization having: a clear formal structure, a division of labor, and a set of rules and procedures by which it operates. Executive Branch consists of 15 executive departments as well as independent executive agencies, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations

The Federal Bureaucracy Executive Departments (15) Independent Executive Agencies (Example: EPA) Independent Regulatory Commissions (Example: Nuclear Regulatory Commission) Government Corporations (Example: Amtrak)

Executive Departments and Independent Agencies Executive departments and independent agencies provide key services and regulate important industries for the American people. Executive dept.: Dept. of Veteran Affairs: assist disabled veterans, help veterans returning from military service transition back to civilian life, honor veterans in life and memorialize them in death. Independent exec. agencies: Peace Corps, 1961, Kennedy: “ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country

Independent Agencies 1. Executive agencies manage an aspect of government 2. Regulatory commissions regulate some aspect of the economy 3. Government corporations are run like businesses but are owned by the government. Executive Departments Major units of administration and policy making Each department oversees a broad area of government responsibility Congress creates new departments to meet new needs

Financing Government By collecting taxes and borrowing money, the federal government is able to generate the funds it needs to run the nation. The government then assigns these funds to create a federal budget for the upcoming year.

Includes taxes, fees, and other nontax sources Spending Financing Government Go Government Revenue Includes taxes, fees, and other nontax sources Spending Is either discretionary or mandatory The Federal Budget Reflects national priorities and compromise among the three branches Government Sets fiscal policy with federal budget and tax laws, sets monetary policy by altering money supply and interest rates