TT#9 | 13 Govt. Entities, What they Do, & Their Websites

Note to Thirteeners and Others. If you leave a comment with your URL, we'll post your link on the page under our posting (making it a proper link for Technorati and Google purposes). Those who want to learn how to join the fun of Thursday 13 should just click on the badge.

Want to join BN-Politics' link-exchange?
Add us to your blogroll and email us:thecrux@bucknakedpolitics.com

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!                  View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The U.S. government has scads of entities (departments, agencies, commissions, bureaus, institutes, etc). Below is a list of 13 (in no particular order), including very simplified descriptions of what they do.  Hundreds of other entities do serve important functions.

1.  Govt. Accountability Office (GAO): an arm of Congress that investigates and reports on whatever Congress tells it to (e.g., Hurricane Katrina spending, Defense spending -- you name it); it's a non-partisan office, because it answers to both Republicans and Democrats.

2. U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO): an entity that provides all kinds of reports relating to all three branches of government (e.g., GPO made the 9/11 commission report available online back in 2004).

3.  Congressional Budget Office (CBO):  an arm of Congress that does budget and economic analysis for Congress; it's a non-partisan office, because it answers to both Republicans and Democrats.

4.  Office of Management & Budget (OMB): a White House office that does budget and economic analysis for the President; it can be partisan, because it answers to the President.

5. Office of Federal Procurement Policy: a part of the OMB, this entity sets policy for the government's spending of $300+ billion buying goods and services each year; how well it does is questionable, given the history of problems our nation has had in getting our money's worth from government contractors (see BN-Politics' section on Govt. Contractors & Waste).

6. U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC): an entity that regulates America's securities markets (e.g., stocks and bonds), whose mission is to protect ordinary investors. The SEC was created in 1934, after the Stock Market Crash of 1929, because ineffective regulation contributed to the great crash.  At the SEC's website, you can find companies' quarterly and annual reports, press releases about litigation, and basics about various forms of investments.

7.  U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ): a huge law-enforcement entity that is run by the U.S. Attorney General and includes the U.S. Attorneys, the U.S. Marshall Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) -- among other organizations.

8. Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA): under the U.S. Defense Department, this entity is responsible for auditing Defense Department  contracts;  whether it does a good job has  been questionable, as evident in some GAO reports. (See BN-Politics' section on Govt. Contractors & Waste

9. Federal Election Commission (FEC): created in 1975, this entity enforces laws and rules relating to financing of federal elections.

10. U.S. Civil Rights Commission (USCRC): this entity's mission is to protect of citizens' constitutional right to vote (e.g., to address discrimination and fraud).  The President appoints the commissioners, and different commissioners see the Commission's mission differently.

11. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): an independent agency that gives money and help to other nations re: humanitarian- and economic-development needs.

12. U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA): this agency's goal is to ensure that our food, drugs and cosmetics are safe.  The FDA has been under fire for doing a questionable job.  You can read about four recent drug scandals here.

13. National Institutes of Health (NIH): the primary entity for conducting and funding scientific research, the NIH includes 27 institutes and centers (e.g., National Cancer Institute and National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases). The NIH gives out many grants, which is how some big drug companies have ended up with millions of tax dollars for new-drug research.

 

Related BN-Politics' Posts

* Govt. Contractors: Driving up Healthcare Costs?

  * Defense Dept. Rewarding Bad Contractor Performance?

  * How the Energy Dept. Incinerated Tax Dollars

  * How the Defense Dept. Flushes Dollars Down Latrine

  * New Orleans Still Suffering after 2 Years and Billions of Tax Dollars

  * Gov. Contractors: Driving up War's Costs? 

  * Contractors Offering Bribes to Army Personnel?

Visitors' Links

1. Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing
2. Pop Culture Dish
3. Joely Sue Burkhart
4. No Nonsense Girl
5. Thorne's World
6. Moments & Memories
7. Chicken Scratch
8. Puss Reboots
9. Whacky Mommy
10. 2 Boys 2 Teach
11. Around the Island
12. Bibliotica
13. Don't Call Me Mummy
14. Storyweaver's Web
15. Tilly Greene's Hot Thoughts Blog
16. A Cowboy's Wife
17. Journey Woman
18. J's Thoughts & Musings
19. Loose Leaf Notes
20. Insanity Prevails
21. What Works for Us
22. Moondancer Drake's Hearth
23. Fond of Snape
24. Third World Country
25. Any Apples
26. Vixen's Den
27. D-3
28. Kay Kay Zowie
29. A Spot of T
30. Mom of 3
31. Our 7 Q-T Pies
32. Double-Decker Bus
33. More Random Than Average
34. The Black Cat
35. Hunna's Happenings
36. Mommy Bytes
37. You're next

Comments

[Lara]

This is a wonderful TT -- I hate to say it, but I didn't know the majority of this! Thanks for the info -- I'm going to link you to my blog, if it's okay-- you have great info!
Happy TT!

[Malcolm]

Thanks for putting the functions of what these entities do in layman's terms. I also checked out the link to the recent drug scandals. The govt. never ceases to amaze me (waiting a year to put the blindness warning on Viagra).

[Joely]

I didn't know many of these either. Thanks for sharing!

[The Nononsense]

I didn't know most of these stuff. This really is interesting AND maddening!!!

Happy TT!!!

[Thorne]

Excellent Info. Much thanks.

[Maribeth]

Love to be educated. Thanks, I might even reference back to this from time to time
*Maribeth*

[Christine]

As a Canadian, I am not familiar with many of these US government entities. Very informative and interesting TT.

I'm all about words this time round on http://www.chicken-scratch.ca

[pussreboots]

Another educational TT.

[Wacky Mommy]

V. helpful, thank you! Thanks for stopping by, too.

[2boys2teach]

Interesing TT13. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by. Blessings!

[Robin from Israel]

Is it just me, or are there too many bureaucrats...

[Melissa]

Interesting and informative, as usual. Happy TT.

[mom not mum]

Always learn something when I come visit your TT!

[Xakara]

And another week of learning under my belt. I love coming here.

Happy TT.

~X

[Tilly Greene]

I always get a great laugh out "Government Accountability Office" :-) Interesting list - thank you.

[Lori]

I'm not very "politic savvy" at all so I found this list quite interesting!

[Journeywoman]

Great list.

Now if some of them would get more money so they could do their job better it would be a great thing.

Happy TT.

[Jenny McB]

Reading all these departments, is there a hierarchy? Or is it based on telling people what they want to hear?

Good list!

[colleen]

It makes me sad to know that the government has so many agencies and yet seems so dysfunctional and can market a phony war like it was the latest walmart gadget without much oversight.

[Melli]

Alriiiiiighty then! That list oughta use up a few rolls of red-tape!

[WorksForMom]

Another week - another fascinating list that makes me feel like i know NOTHING.

[Moondancer Drake]

Yeah, I'd wondered what some of those agencys were "supposed" to be doing. This clarifies things, thanks.

http://moondancerdrake.livejournal.com

[Janet]

I know I've probably said this before, but I love reading this blog!

[David]

I know you didn't do this just to spike my blood pressure, but it's a good thing I just had a beer...

;-)

feddle gummint bureaucraps: the bane of a citizen's existence... *heh*

[Frigga]

There is waaaayyyyy to much waste in Government. I think about 90% of all Government positions should be gone and let more Americans do what Americans do best in a free market. That and it would finially get Government out of every single aspect of everyone's life.
Happy TT13! :-)