
In general, independent agencies are tasked with administering laws and federal regulations that apply to specific areas such as the environment, social security, homeland security, education, and veteran affairs.
What does it mean to be an independent agent?
Local knowledge and support: An independent agent is often a resident and local business in your community, so they know your area and potential hazards. You can typically stay with your agent for life. An independent agent can be a good choice if you want to support a local business.
What are the advantages of using an independent agent?
What are the advantages of independent insurance agents?
- Multiple quotes from different companies. One of the best benefits to working with an independent insurance agency is having them shop for insurance quotes for you.
- Agent can stay with you if you switch providers. When your policy comes up for renewal, your agent will know. ...
- Personalized customer service. ...
- Your best interests. ...
- Smaller insurance companies. ...
What were independent agencies created to do?
The period between 1865 and 1900 saw the birth of independent regulatory commissions. Congress created these agencies to set rates and bring order into industry competition. The first of these so-called economic regulatory agencies was the Interstate Commerce Commission.
What are examples of independent executive agencies?
Independent agency is a federal agency, commission, or board that is not under the direction of the executive. The Federal Trade Commission and the National Labor Relations Board are examples of an independent agency .

What is the purpose of an independent agency in the executive branch?
An independent federal agency may also be defined as an agency in which the top official has cause removal protections and, therefore, is insulated from political interference by the president or other elected officials.
What is an independent agency in simple terms?
More specifically, the term is used to describe agencies that, while constitutionally part of the executive branch, are independent of presidential control, usually because the president's power to dismiss the agency head or a member is limited.
What is an example of an independent agency?
The Paperwork Reduction Act lists 19 enumerated "independent regulatory agencies", such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Reserve, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
What is a characteristic of an independent agent?
Independent agents receive commissions for the policies that they sell and are not considered employees of any specific insurance company. An independent agent may be contrasted with a captive agent, who can only sell the products of the company they work for.
What are the 3 types of independent agencies?
There are three main types of independent agencies: independent executive agencies, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations.
What must an independent agency do to create any new rules?
Steps in the Rulemaking ProcessLegislation. Most administrative rules originate with laws passed by the U.S. Congress or a state legislature. ... Advance Notice. ... Drafting the Proposed Rule. ... Publication of the Proposed Rule. ... Public Comment. ... Finalization. ... Effective Date.
How are independent agencies created?
In most cases, the agencies have been created by Congress to deal with matters that have become too complex for the scope of ordinary legislation. The Interstate Commerce Commission, for example, was established by Congress in 1887 to curb the growing power of the railroads.
What is the largest independent agency?
What is the largest independent regulatory agency? The Social Security Administration is one of America's largest independent agencies.
Are independent agencies part of the executive branch?
The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the president, vice president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees.
What is the meaning of regulatory agencies?
regulatory agency, independent governmental body established by legislative act in order to set standards in a specific field of activity, or operations, in the private sector of the economy and then to enforce those standards. Regulatory agencies function outside direct executive supervision.
What are government corporations examples?
Today's government corporations cover the spectrum in size and function from large, well-known entities, such as the U.S. Postal Service and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, to small, low-visibility corporate bodies, such as the Federal Financing Bank in the Department of the Treasury and Federal Prison ...
What's federal bureaucracy?
The Federal Bureaucracy is the unelected, administrative body in the Executive Branch. It is the back bone of the US Government. It is arranged into departments, agencies and commissions.
What are independent agencies?
Independent agencies exist outside the federal executive departments (those headed by a Cabinet secretary) and the Executive Office of the President. There is a further distinction between independent executive agencies and independent regulatory agencies, which have been assigned rulemaking responsibilities or authorities by Congress. The Paperwork Reduction Act lists 19 enumerated "independent regulatory agencies", such as the SEC, the Fed, the CFTC, the FDIC, and the CFPB. Generally, the heads of independent regulatory agencies can only be removed for cause, but Cabinet members and heads of independent executive agencies, such as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, serve "at the pleasure of the president" and can be removed without cause. Executive Order 12866, which requires cost-benefit analysis for certain regulatory actions, does not apply to independent regulatory agencies. In a narrower sense, the term independent agency refers only to these independent regulatory agencies that, while considered part of the executive branch, have rulemaking authority and are insulated from presidential control, usually because the president's power to dismiss the agency head or a member is limited.
How are independent agencies distinguished from federal agencies?
Independent agencies can be distinguished from the federal executive departments and other executive agencies by their structural and functional characteristics. Their officers can be protected from removal by the president, they can be controlled by a board that cannot be appointed all at once, and the board can be required to be bipartisan.
What is FDIC insurance?
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) provides deposit insurance to depositors in U.S. commercial banks and savings banks. The FDIC was created by the 1933 Banking Act, enacted during the Great Depression to restore trust in the American banking system. Member banks' insurance dues are the primary source of funding.
What is the EPA?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works for state and local governments throughout the United States to control and abate environmental pollution and to address problems related to solid waste, pesticides, radiation, and toxic substances. The EPA sets and enforces standards for air, soil and water quality, evaluates the impact of pesticides and chemical substances, and manages the Superfund program for cleaning toxic waste sites.
How many members are on an independent agency?
While most executive agencies have a single director, administrator, or secretary appointed by the president of the United States, independent agencies (in the narrower sense of being outside presidential control) almost always have a commission, board, or similar collegial body consisting of five to seven members who share power over the agency. (This is why many independent agencies include the word "Commission" or "Board" in their name.) The president appoints the commissioners or board members, subject to Senate confirmation, but they often serve terms that are staggered and longer than a four-year presidential term, meaning that most presidents will not have the opportunity to appoint all the commissioners of a given independent agency. 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. The president can normally designate which commissioner will serve as the chairperson.
Can Congress designate an agency as independent?
Congress can designate certain agencies explicitly as "independent" in the governing statute, but the functional differences have more legal significance. In reality, the high turnover rate among these commissioners or board members means that most presidents have the opportunity to fill enough vacancies to constitute a voting majority on each independent agency commission within the first two years of the first term as president. In some famous instances, presidents have found the independent agencies more loyal and in lockstep with the president's wishes and policy objectives than some dissenters among the executive agency political appointments.
Can a president remove an executive agency head?
Presidents normally do have the authority to remove regular executive agency heads at will , but they must meet the statutory requirements for removal of commissioners of independent agencies, such as demonstrating incapacity, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or other good cause.
What is independent agency?
Independent Agencies are outside of the executive branch and are not under the supervision of the president. They were in most cases created by Congress to deal with matters that have become too complex for the scope of ordinary legislation. Click again to see term 👆. Tap again to see term 👆.
Who creates independent agencies?
The independent agencies are essentially created by Congress who issues the enabling statutes.
How are independent agencies controlled?
Independent Agencies are generally controlled by a committee or board with staggered terms of office. This slows down the President's ability to control them by just firing the agency head.
What was the pivotal case that led to modern notion of independent agencies?
Humphrey's Executor (1935) was the pivotal case that led to modern notion of independent agencies. This case stated that limitations could be placed on the President's ability to remove officers in an independent regulatory agency.
Why is it important for the separation of powers doctrine to be insulted?
Because it limited the president's ability to remove officers of agencies who exercised quasi-judicial or legislative powers, which again would run counter to the separation of powers doctrine. Those agencies are important in the matters that they regulate, so it is important for them to be insulted from political pressure, especially from the president
Why do independent agencies have two terms?
Because there are certain restrictions to the appointment process when it comes to independent agencies. Because they serve in staggered terms, and only a simple majority of one political ideology can sit for the board, a two term president may be able to shape the board in a way that prevents the next president from appointing a member of his political party for some time
What is the term of service of the head of an independent agency?
The term of service of the head of the independent agency is staggered- this means it overlaps with that of the Presidential term. Nice work! You just studied 25 terms!
What is an independent agency?
federal government are those that, while technically part of the executive branch, are self-governed and not directly controlled by the President. Among other duties, these independent agencies and commissions are responsible for the vitally important federal rulemaking process. In general, independent agencies are tasked with administering laws and federal regulations that apply to specific areas such as the environment, social security, homeland security, education, and veteran affairs.
Who oversees independent agencies?
Falling within the executive branch of government, independent agencies are overseen by Congress, but operate with more autonomy than federal agencies headed by Cabinet members such as the Departments of State or Treasury which must report directly to the president. While independent agencies do not answer directly to the president, ...
What Sets Independent Executive Agencies Apart?
Independent agencies differ from the other executive branch departments and agencies mainly in their makeup, function, and the degree to which they are controlled by the president. Unlike most executive branch agencies which are overseen by a single secretary, administrator, or director appointed by the president, independent agencies are usually controlled by a commission or board made up of from five to seven people who share power equally.
What are the powers of independent regulatory agencies?
Most independent regulatory agencies have the authority to conduct investigations, impose fines or other civil penalties, and otherwise, limit the activities of parties proven to be in violation of federal regulations.
Why did Congress create independent economic regulatory agencies?
Seeing a need to ensure fair and ethical competition and control fees, Congress began creating independent economic regulatory agencies or “commissions.” The first of these, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), was created in 1887 to regulate the railroad (and later the trucking) industries to ensure fair rates and competition and to prevent rate discrimination. Farmers and merchants had complained to lawmakers that railroads were charging them exorbitant fees to carry their goods to market.
How do independent agencies differ from other executive branch departments?
Independent agencies differ from the other executive branch departments and agencies mainly in their makeup, function, and the degree to which they are controlled by the president. Unlike most executive branch agencies which are overseen by a single secretary, administrator, or director appointed by the president, ...
How many government agencies did the American Republic have?
For the first 73 years of its history, the young American republic operated with only four government agencies: the Departments of War, State, Navy, and Treasury, and the Office of the Attorney General. As more territories gained statehood and the nation’s population grew, the people’s demand for more services and protections from the government grew as well.
Answer
The purpose of an independent regulatory agency , such as the Federal Reserve System is they make the rules that help make the daily work of the government more efficient.
Answer
I believe the answer is: c.They make the rules that help make the daily work of government more efficient.
What are some examples of independent regulatory agencies?
Some of the examples of independent regulatory authorities that started to exist later are the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or the Consumer Product Safety Commission . There are many independent regulatory organizations in the US that direct their activities towards different purposes. One distinctive feature of these types of establishment is that their commissioners have independency from the president of the US. In other words, the only way to take power away from the agency’s decisions or the board is according to some causes, through impeachment. Consequently, the commissioners can have an unlimited period of service for one specific independent agency.
What was the first independent regulatory organization?
The Interstate Commerce Commission became the first independent regulatory organization and existed until the end of the 20th century. With time, the key objectives of those agencies were reformed and started to include not only commercial aspects of the economy, but also different issues connected to health, safety, and nature protection.
Which type of authority controls large businesses?
Most of the independent regulatory authorities control large businesses, and they provide standards and regulations to a higher number of big entities than the executive agencies.
What was the purpose of the Interstate Commerce Commission?
The primary purpose was to straighten things up in various country’s industries that required alterations in a non-political environment. The Interstate Commerce Commission became the first independent regulatory organization and existed until the end of the 20th century. With time, the key objectives of those agencies were reformed and started to include not only commercial aspects of the economy, but also different issues connected to health, safety, and nature protection.

Overview
Independent agencies of the United States federal government are agencies that exist outside the federal executive departments (those headed by a Cabinet secretary) and the Executive Office of the President. In a narrower sense, the term refers only to those independent agencies that, while considered part of the executive branch, have regulatory or rulemaking authority and are insulated from presidential control, usually because the president's power to dismiss the agency head or …
Executive and regulatory agencies
Independent agencies exist outside the federal executive departments (those headed by a Cabinet secretary) and the Executive Office of the President. There is a further distinction between independent executive agencies and independent regulatory agencies, which have been assigned rulemaking responsibilities or authorities by Congress. The Paperwork Reduction Act lists 19 enumerated "independent regulatory agencies", such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, …
Examples of independent agencies
These agencies are not represented in the cabinet and are not part of the Executive Office of the president:
• Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) is a passenger railroad service that provides intercity service throughout the contiguous United States and parts of Canada.
Agencies outside of executive branch
Although not officially part of the executive branch, these agencies are required by federal statute to release certain information about their programs and activities into the Federal Register, the daily journal of government activities:
• Fannie Mae, or the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA)
• Freddie Mac, or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)
See also
• Federal executive departments
• List of U.S. federal agencies
• Regulatory agency
• State-owned enterprises of the United States
External links
• This article incorporates public domain material from Independent Agencies. USA.gov.
• The United States Government Manual: information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
• regulations.gov