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Numerous independent agencies perform tasks that fall between the jurisdictions of the executive departments or that are more efficiently executed by an autonomous agency.
Some smaller, but well-known, independent agencies include the Peace Corps, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission. Although the majority of these agencies are fairly small, employing fewer than 1,000 workers (many employ fewer than 100 workers), some are quite large. The largest independent agencies are:
- Social Security Administration: Operates various retirement and disability programs and Medicaid.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Oversees aviation research and conducts exploration and research beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Environmental Protection Agency: Runs programs to control and reduce pollution of the Nation’s water, air, and lands.
- Tennessee Valley Authority: Operates the hydroelectric power system in the Tennessee River Valley.
- General Services Administration: Manages and protects Federal Government property and records.
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: Maintains stability of and public confidence in the Nation’s financial system, by insuring deposits and promoting sound banking practices.
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