Government agency - Wikipedia Government agency From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search Further information: Political organisation This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (September 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Government agency" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administration. There is a notable variety of agency types. Although usage differs, a government agency is normally distinct both from a department or ministry, and other types of public body established by government. The functions of an agency are normally executive in character, since different types of organizations (such as commissions) are most often constituted in an advisory role—this distinction is often blurred in practice however, it is not allowed. A government agency may be established by either a national government or a state government within a federal system. The term is not normally used for an organization created by the powers of a local government body. Agencies can be established by legislation or by executive powers. The autonomy, independence and accountability of government agencies also vary widely. Contents 1 History 2 Australia 3 Canada 4 France 5 Germany 6 Greece 7 Iceland 8 India 9 Russian Federation 10 Sweden 11 United Kingdom 12 United States 13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External links History[edit] Early examples of organizations that would now be termed a government agency include the British Navy Board, responsible for ships and supplies, which was established[1] in 1546 by King Henry VIII and the British Commissioners of Bankruptcy established[2] in 1570. From 1933, the New Deal saw growth in US federal agencies, the "alphabet agencies" as they were used to deliver new programs created by legislation, such as the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. From the 1980s, as part of New Public Management, several countries including Australia and the United Kingdom developed the use of agencies to improve efficiency in public services. Australia[edit] Main article: List of Australian government entities Canada[edit] Main article: Structure of the Canadian federal government France[edit] Administrative law in France refers to autorité administrative indépendante (AAI) or Independent Administrative Authorities. They tend to be prominent in the following areas of public policy; Economic and financial regulation Information and communication Defence of citizens' rights Independent Administrative Authorities in France may not be instructed or ordered to take specific actions by government. Germany[edit] Main article: Federal agency (Germany) Greece[edit] Main article: General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace (Greek: Γενική Γραμματεία Μακεδονίας-Θράκης), previously Ministry for Macedonia and Thrace (Greek: Υπουργείο Μακεδονίας-Θράκης) is a government agency of the Hellenic Republic that is responsible for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace. Iceland[edit] Main article: Government agencies in Iceland India[edit] See also: List of Indian government agencies The term agency in India has several meanings; for example, the Cabinet and the parliament Secretariat describes itself[3] as a "nodal agency for coordination amongst the ministries of the Govt. of India". Most notably as an international feature, what appear to be independent agencies (or apex agencies) include some that have active roles for Ministers: such as, the National Security Council, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the Planning Commission, which is chaired ex officio by the Prime Minister. Russian Federation[edit] Russia has had many government agencies throughout its history. The USSR had the secretive KGB. Today, Russian government agencies such as the FSB, FSO, and the GRU use Spetsnaz or other masked operators for any missions. Other organizations include Kremlin and presidential security. Sweden[edit] Main article: Government agencies in Sweden The Government agencies in Sweden are State controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Government of Sweden. The Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct orders. This means that while the agencies are subject to decisions made by the Government, Ministers are explicitly prohibited (so called ban on ministerstyre) from interfering with the day-to-day operation in an agency or the outcome in individual cases as well. In addition to the State and its agencies, there are also local government agencies, which are extensions of municipalities and county councils. United Kingdom[edit] Main article: British government departments Agencies in the United Kingdom are either executive agencies answerable to government ministers or non-departmental public bodies answerable directly to one of the parliaments or devolved assemblies of the United Kingdom. They are also commonly known as Quangos. Agencies can be created by enabling legislation by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Scottish Parliament or the National Assembly for Wales. Agencies in England usually answer to Westminster or the British Government. In Scotland they usually answer to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliament and in Wales to the National Assembly for Wales. Some have remits that cover the entire UK and these organisations are funded by and answer to the British Government. United States[edit] Main article: List of federal agencies in the United States The Congress and President of the United States delegate specific authority to government agencies to regulate the complex facets of the modern American federal state. Also, most of the 50 U.S. states have created similar government agencies. Each of the 50 states' governments is similar to the national government with all but one having a bicameral legislature. The term "government agency" or "administrative agency" usually applies to one of the independent agencies of the United States government, which exercise some degree of independence from the President's control. Although the heads of independent agencies are often appointed by the government, they can usually be removed only for cause. The heads of independent agencies work together in groups, such as a commission, board or council. Independent agencies often function as miniature versions of the tripartite federal government with the authority to legislate (through the issuing, or "promulgation" of regulations), to adjudicate disputes, and to enforce agency regulations (through enforcement personnel). Examples of independent agencies include the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). A broader definition of the term "government agency" also means the United States federal executive departments that include the President's cabinet-level departments, and their sub-units. Examples of these agencies include the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury. Most federal agencies are created by Congress through statutes called "enabling acts" which define the scope of an agency's authority. Because the Constitution does not expressly mention federal agencies (as it does the three branches), some commentators have called agencies the "headless fourth branch" of the federal government. However, most independent agencies are technically part of the executive branch, with a few located in the legislative branch of government. By enacting the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in 1946, Congress established some means to oversee government agency action. The APA established uniform administrative law procedures for a federal agency's promulgation of rules, and adjudication of claims. The APA also sets forth the process for judicial review of agency action. See also[edit] Classification of the Functions of Government Government-owned corporation Regulatory agency Statutory authority Statutory corporation References[edit] ^ A brief history of the Royal Navy, Royal Navy Museum, accessed at [1] June 9, 2006 ^ Macleavy, J. and O. Gay (2005) The Quango Debate, House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/30, p. 8 accessed at "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-06-19. Retrieved 2006-06-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) ^ Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India at [2], accessed June 30, 2006 Further reading[edit] Machinery of Government Reform: Principles and Practice in "The Organisation of Central Government Departments: A History 1964–1992", ESRC Whitehall Programme at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. (accessed October 16, 2018) External links[edit] Encyclopedic Dictionary of Public Administration, Agency Find Government & Non-Government Jobs in Easy Way v t e Civil service Concepts Public sector Government agency Bureaucracy Bureaucrat Technocracy Diplomat Public administration Public policy Public service By country/territory Australia Bangladesh Brazil Canada China Hong Kong France Germany India Ireland Italy Japan Malaysia New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Russia Singapore Sri Lanka United Kingdom Northern Ireland United States European Union Categories National civil service commissions Government occupations Civil service by country See also: Civil service reform in developing countries Authority control GND: 4005298-9 LCCN: sh85000901 NDL: 00564990 Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Government_agency&oldid=993625439" Categories: Government agencies Independent government agencies by country Hidden categories: CS1 maint: archived copy as title Articles with limited geographic scope from September 2015 Articles needing additional references from February 2010 All articles needing additional references Articles with multiple maintenance issues Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with NDL identifiers Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Article Talk Variants Views Read Edit View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Languages العربية Azərbaycanca Беларуская Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ລາວ Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本語 Norsk bokmål Norsk nynorsk Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Walon ייִדיש 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 December 2020, at 16:23 (UTC). 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