1. Executive Branch Essential Questions
1. List and describe the executive offices that are within the White House. Give specific
examples.
Domestic Policy Counsel
National Security Advisor
National Economic Counsel
Office of Cabinet Affairs
Office of the Chief of Staff
Office of Communications
Office of Digital Strategy
Office of the First Lady
Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of Management and Administration
Oval Office Operations
Office of Presidential Personal
Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Scheduling and Advance
Office of Staff Secretary
Office of the White House Counsel
2. List and describe the President's cabinet and its responsibilities. Give specific
examples.
Vice President of the United States
Department of State
Department of the Treasury
Department of Defense
Department of Justice
Department of the Interior
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Labor
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Transportation
Department of Energy
Department of Education
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Homeland Security
White House Chief of Staff
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Management and Budget
United States trade Representative
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Council of Economic Advisors
Small Business Administration
Tara Pawlyk Thursday, May 16, 2013 9:30:47 AM ET 04:0c:ce:d3:10:88

2. 3. What is the federal bureaucracy?
National set of agencies
4. What are the differences between executive agencies, regulatory commissions,
independent agencies, and government corporations?
Executive Agencies- Agency of the executive branch
Regulatory Commissions- They are formed and accorded power by Congress to
regulate a specific industry. Within the authority granted them by Congress, they have
the power to form and enforce their own regulations.
Independent Agencies- an agency of the United States government that is created by
an act of Congress and is independent of the executive departments
Government Corporations- is either fully or partially owned by a nationʼs government
5. Describe the development of the Civil Service System (merit system).
A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of
professional merit as proven by competitive examinations
6. List and describe the following Presidents Cabinet and the executive agencies within
the cabinet offices: USDA, Census bureau, Patent and Trademark office, FEMA, ATF,
FBI, DEA, BLS, FAA and Immigration and citizenship office.
USDA- US Department of Agriculture, functions in: assisting rural communities,
conservation, food and nutrition, marketing and trade, education and research
Census Bureau- Runs statistics of the population
Patent and Trademark Office- Manages patents and trademarks
FEMA- Federal Emergency Management Agency, functions in: Disaster mitigation,
preparedness, response, recovery, education, and references.
ATF- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; regulate these items
FBI- Federal Bureau of Investigation, a governmental agency belonging to the United
States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body
and an internal intelligence agency
DEA- Drug Enforcement Administration, combats illegal drugs
BLS- Bureau of Labor Statistics, principal fact-finding agency for the Federal
Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics
Tara Pawlyk Thursday, May 16, 2013 9:30:47 AM ET 04:0c:ce:d3:10:88

3. FAA- Federal Aviation Administration, operating mode of the U.S. Department of
Transportation
Immigration and Citizenship Office- deal with the citizenship process
7. List and describe the responsibilities of the following regulatory commissions: FTC,
CPSC, FCC, EEOC, OSHA, NTSB, SEC, NLRB.
FTC- Federal Trade Commission
CPSC- Consumer Product Safety Commission
FCC- Federal Communications Commission
EEOC- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
OSHA- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
NTSB- National Transportation Safety Board
SEC- Securities and Exchange Commission
NLRB- National Labor Relations Board
8. List and describe the responsibilities of the following independent agencies: CIA,
FDIC, AMTRAK, USPS, SSA, TVA, NASA.
CIA- Central Intelligence Agency
FDIC- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
AMTRAK- National Railroad Passenger Corporation
USPS- United States Postal Service
SSA- Social Security Administration
TVA- Tennessee Valley Authority
NASA- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
9. Describe the responsibilities of the following government corporations: USPS,
AMTRAK, TVA.
USPS is in charge of the postal service. AMTRAK focuses on transportation. TVA
provides navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and
economic development in the Tennessee Valley.
Tara Pawlyk Thursday, May 16, 2013 9:30:47 AM ET 04:0c:ce:d3:10:88