Bureaucratic Agencies

The modern bureaucracy is composed of more than 2.7 million civilian workers from all walks of life. In general, bureaucrat agencies fall into four categories: departments, independent agencies, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations. 

The United States Cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government. Cabinet officers are nominated by the President and confirmed or rejected by the Senate. The fifteen cabinet departments are major administrative units that have responsibility for conducting broad areas of government operations. Cabinet departments account for about 60 percent of the federal workforce. The vice president, the heads of all the departments, as well as the heads of the environmental protection agency, office of management and budget, the U.S. trade representative, the council of economic advisers  the U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations, and the president’s chief of staff make up his formal cabinet. Most departments are subdivided into bureaus, divisions sections or other smaller units.

The independent executive agencies are very similar to cabinet departments. They generally perform service rather than regulatory functions. The heads of these agencies are appointed by the president like the cabinet members. These agencies exist outside the federal executive departments. While most executive agencies have a single director, administrator, or secretary appointed by the President of the United States, independent agencies almost always have a commission, board, or similar collegial body consisting of five to seven members who share power over the agency. The President appoints the commissioners or board members, subject to Senate confirmation, but they often serve with staggered terms, and often for longer terms than a usual four-year Presidential term, meaning most Presidents will not have the opportunity to appoint all the commissioners of a given independent agency. Normally the President can designate which Commissioner will serve as the Chairperson. Normally there are statutory provisions limiting the President's authority to remove commissioners, typically for incapacity, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or other good cause. In addition, most independent agencies have a statutory requirement of bipartisan membership on the commission, so the President cannot simply fill vacancies with members of his own political party.

Furthermore, the independent regulatory commissions are agencies created by congress to exist outside the major departments to regulate a specific economic activity or interest. Regulatory agencies deal in the area of administrative law—regulation or rulemaking. The existence of independent regulatory agencies is justified by the complexity of certain regulatory and supervisory tasks that require expertise, the need for rapid implementation of public authority in certain sectors, and the drawbacks of political interference. Some independent regulatory agencies perform investigations or audits, and some are authorized to fine the relevant parties and order certain measures. Regulatory agencies are usually a part of the executive branch of the government, or they have statutory authority to perform their functions with oversight from the legislative branch. Their actions are generally open to legal review. Regulatory authorities are commonly set up to enforce standards and safety, or to oversee use of public goods and regulate commerce. Examples of regulatory agencies are the Interstate Commerce Commission and U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the United States, Ofcom in the United Kingdom, and the TRAI in India.

Lastly, the government corporations are the most recent addition to the bureaucracy. Dating back from the early 1930s, they are businesses established by congress to perform functions that could be provided by private businesses. Some examples of governmental corporations are federal deposit Insurance Corporation, the Tennessee valley authority, etc. Government corporations are often formed when the financial incentives for private industry to provide service are minimal.