A government agency or state agency , sometimes an appointed commission , is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government ( bureaucracy ) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administration . There is a notable variety of agency types. Although usage differs, a government agency is normally distinct both from a department or ministry , and other types of public body established by government . The functions of an agency are normally executive in character since different types of organizations ( such as commissions ) are most often constituted in an advisory role — this distinction is often blurred in practice however, it is not allowed.
22-757: The Spokesperson for the United States Department of State is a U.S. government official whose primary responsibility is to serve as the spokesperson for the United States Department of State and the U.S. government's foreign policies. The position is located in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs . Historically, the State Department Spokesperson and the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs were synonymous names for
44-540: A bicameral legislature. The term "government agency" or "administrative agency" usually applies to one of the independent agencies of the United States government , which exercise some degree of independence from the President's control. Although the heads of independent agencies are often appointed by the government, they can usually be removed only for cause. The heads of independent agencies work together in groups, such as
66-516: A commission, board or council. Independent agencies often function as miniature versions of the tripartite federal government with the authority to legislate (through the issuing or promulgation of regulations), to adjudicate disputes, and to enforce agency regulations. Examples of independent agencies include the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Reserve Board , U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
88-406: A day-to-day level and for more routine announcements, the job may be delegated to the corporate communications or investor relations departments (or equivalents), who will act as spokespeople. As an example, in the particle physics community, large collaborations of physicists elect one (or two) spokespeople or leader(s) of the collaboration. The spokesperson in such cases is the lead scientist of
110-682: A government agency include the British Navy Board , responsible for ships and supplies, which was established in 1546 by King Henry VIII and the British Commissioners of Bankruptcy established in 1570. From 1933, the New Deal saw growth in U.S. federal agencies, the " alphabet agencies " as they were used to deliver new programs created by legislation, such as the Federal Emergency Relief Administration . From
132-460: Is responsible for communicating the foreign policy of the United States to American and foreign media, typically in a daily press briefing. The daily press briefing typically includes a summary of the secretary of state 's schedule, any upcoming trips by the secretary, the president of the United States , or other distinguished State Department officials including under secretaries and assistant secretaries , and official reactions and positions of
154-426: Is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have received formal training in journalism, communications , public relations and public affairs in this role in order to ensure that public announcements are made in the most appropriate fashion and through the most appropriate channels to maximize
176-528: Is the communications coordinator primarily responsible for providing information to the public through media, pursuant to and limited by any applicable laws. Governmental organizations A government agency may be established by either a national government or a state government within a federal system. Agencies can be established by legislation or by executive powers. The autonomy, independence, and accountability of government agencies also vary widely. Early examples of organizations that would now be termed
198-590: The Department of the Treasury . Most federal agencies are created by Congress through statutes called " enabling acts ", which define the scope of an agency's authority. Because the Constitution does not expressly mention federal agencies (as it does the three branches), some commentators have called agencies the "headless fourth branch" of the federal government. However, most independent agencies are technically part of
220-727: The NITI Aayog , which is chaired ex officio by the Prime Minister. Russia has had many government agencies throughout its history. The USSR had the secretive KGB . Today, Russian government agencies such as the FSB , FSO , and the GRU use Spetsnaz or other masked operators for any missions. Other organizations include Kremlin and presidential security. The Government agencies in Sweden are State controlled organizations who act independently to carry out
242-660: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). A broader definition of the term "government agency" also means the United States federal executive departments that include the President's cabinet-level departments and their sub-units. Examples of these include the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which is a bureau of
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#1732851277463264-595: The Parliament of the United Kingdom , Scottish Parliament or the Welsh Parliament . The Congress and President of the United States delegate specific authority to government agencies to regulate the complex facets of the modern American federal state . Also, most of the 50 U.S. states have created similar government agencies. Each state government is similar to the national government, with all but one having
286-536: The 1980s, as part of New Public Management , several countries including Australia and the United Kingdom developed the use of agencies to improve efficiency in public services. Administrative law in France refers to autorité administrative indépendante (AAI) or Independent Administrative Authorities. They tend to be prominent in the following areas of public policy; Independent Administrative Authorities in France may not be instructed or ordered to take specific actions by
308-587: The U.S. government on certain news of the day, followed by Q&A with journalists attending the briefing. A tradition that began during the tenure of John Foster Dulles as secretary of state in the 1950s, the daily press briefing is on-the-record , and is recorded and made available on the State Department's website. The State Department spokesperson will also often accompany the secretary of state on travel to assist with press conferences . Spokesperson A spokesperson , spokesman or spokeswoman ,
330-413: The collaboration, not a public speaker. Each collaboration chooses the roles and responsibilities of the spokesperson for internal purposes, but typically spokespeople also have defined roles for liaising with the host laboratory and/or funding agencies. In certain governmental organizations (i.e. city, county, school district, state government and police/fire departments), a public information officer
352-609: The government. The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace ( Greek : Γενική Γραμματεία Μακεδονίας-Θράκης), previously Ministry for Macedonia and Thrace ( Greek : Υπουργείο Μακεδονίας-Θράκης) is a government agency of the Hellenic Republic that is responsible for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace . The term agency in India has several meanings; for example, the Cabinet and
374-402: The impact of favorable messages and minimize the unfavorable. Celebrity spokespeople such as popular athletes (such as Michael Jordan for Nike and Coca-Cola ) or entertainers (such as Beyoncé for Pepsi and L'Oreal ) are often chosen as spokespeople for commercial advertising. Unlike giving a personal testimonial , it is the job of spokespeople to faithfully represent and advocate for
396-414: The organization's positions, even when these conflict with their own opinion. As a result, spokespeople are generally selected from experienced, long-time employees or other people who are known to support the organization's goals. A corporation may be represented in public by its chief executive officer, chairperson or president, chief financial officer, counsel or external legal advisor. In addition, on
418-561: The outcome in individual cases as well. In addition to the State and its agencies, there are also local government agencies, which are extensions of municipalities and county councils . Agencies in the United Kingdom are either executive agencies answerable to government ministers or non-departmental public bodies answerable directly to parliament or the devolved assemblies of the United Kingdom. They are also commonly known as Quangos . Agencies can be created by enabling legislation by
440-734: The parliament Secretariat describes itself as a " nodal agency for coordination amongst the ministries of the Govt. of India". Most notably as an international feature, what appear to be independent agencies ( or apex agencies ) include some that have active roles for Ministers: such as, the National Security Council , the Medical Council of India , the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research , and
462-521: The policies of the Government of Sweden . The Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct orders. This means that while the agencies are subject to decisions made by the Government, Ministers are explicitly prohibited (so-called ban on ministerstyre ) from interfering with the day-to-day operation in an agency or
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#1732851277463484-471: The same role. However, this has not been the case since Philip J. Crowley 's tenure ended in 2011. Since 2011, the Assistant Secretary and the State Department Spokesperson have been two separate roles held by different people. In late 2015, the two roles were once again merged with the appointment of Spokesperson John Kirby as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. The State Department spokesperson
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