Legislative definitions of a federal agency 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 (whose secretaries belong to the Cabinet). 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 (they are independent in that they are not subordinated under a Cabinet position). 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: United States Senate (the upper chamber), and United States House of Representatives (The lower chamber). Together, the two chambers exercise authority over the following legislative agencies:
Congress also maintains special administrative agencies like: Capitol Police Board which governs the United States Capitol Police (USCP) The office of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) who is in charge of maintaining the Capitol Building, including the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) and the United States Botanic Garden (USBG).
The legislature is also in charge of the Library of Congress (LOC). A national library dedicated to national records and administers various programs, agencies, and services including: Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) Congressional Research Service (CRS) United States Copyright Office (USCO) and the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
Federal judiciary of the United States
Agencies within the judicial branch: Marshal of the Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court of the United States Police Administrative Office of the United States Courts Federal Judicial Center Judicial Conference of the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation United States Sentencing Commission Probation and Pretrial Services System Defender Services
Specialty courts
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
United States Tax Court
Court of Federal Claims
Court of International Trade
Bankruptcy Courts
Alien Terrorist Removal Court
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review
Circuit Courts
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
District Courts
Most notable
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Executive Office of the President
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 (EXR) maintained by the Office of Administration (OA).