List of federal agencies in the United States


Legislative definitions of an agency of the federal government of the United States are varied, and even contradictory. The official United States Government Manual offers no definition. While the Administrative Procedure Act definition of "agency" applies to most executive branch agencies, Congress may define an agency however it chooses in enabling legislation, and through subsequent litigation often involving the Freedom of Information Act and the Government in the Sunshine Act. These further cloud attempts to enumerate a list of agencies.
The executive branch of the federal government includes the Executive Office of the President and the United States federal executive departments. Employees of the majority of these agencies are considered civil servants.
The majority of the independent agencies of the United States government are also classified as executive agencies. There are a small number of independent agencies that are not considered part of the executive branch, such as the Congressional Research Service and the United States Sentencing Commission, which are legislative and judicial agencies, respectively.

United States Congress

The U.S. Congress is the bicameral legislature of the United States government, and is made up of two chambers: the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Together, the two chambers exercise authority over the following legislative agencies:
The legislature also oversees the Library of Congress, a national library dedicated to national records, which administers various programs, agencies, and services including:
The federal judiciary consists of courts established under Article Three of the United States Constitution. These are the following:
The Bankruptcy Courts, while not established as Article III courts, are legally designated as "units of the district courts."
The judicial branch includes the following agencies:
The President of the United States is the chief executive of the federal government. He is in charge of executing federal laws and approving, or vetoing, new legislation passed by Congress. The President resides in the Executive Residence maintained by the Office of Administration.
To effectively run the country's affairs, the President also maintains councils regarding various issues, including:

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Office of the Secretary of Agriculture

Mission Areas

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC)

Office of the Secretary (OS)