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.
29-624: The United States Maritime Administration ( MARAD ) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation . MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine . In addition, it conducts research and development activities in the maritime field; regulates the transfer of U.S. documented vessels to foreign registries; maintains equipment, shipyard facilities, and reserve fleets of Government-owned ships essential for national defense. MARAD also maintains
58-552: 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
87-529: 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),
116-495: 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 a government agency include the British Navy Board , responsible for ships and supplies, which was established in 1546 by King Henry VIII and
145-538: Is a former ministry of Greece . Responsible for the regions of Macedonia and Thrace , since 2015 it has been demoted to the level of a sub-ministry within the Ministry of the Interior . The incumbent Deputy Minister for Macedonia and Thrace is Stavros Kalafatis [ el ] of New Democracy . The ministry had been known as the Ministry of Northern Greece until it was renamed on 19 August 1988. It
174-773: 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 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,
203-627: The Department of Transportation thereby bringing all transportation programs under one cabinet-level department. The Maritime Administration collaborates with stakeholders from all transportation sectors and modes in order to accomplish its mission to improve the U.S. marine transportation system. MARAD operates one federal service academy and administers a Grant-In-Aid Program for six state-operated maritime academies: Students at these academies can graduate with appropriate United States Coast Guard licenses (Mate or Engineer) if they choose to take
232-549: 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
261-702: The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) as a ready source of ships for use during national emergencies and logistically supporting the military when needed. When the United States Maritime Commission was abolished on May 24, 1950, its functions were split between the Federal Maritime Board which was responsible for regulating shipping and awarding subsidies for construction and operation of merchant vessels, and Maritime Administration, which
290-699: 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
319-1176: The National Security Council , the Medical Council of India , the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research , and 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
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#1732771819628348-616: 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
377-624: 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 the 1980s, as part of New Public Management , several countries including Australia and the United Kingdom developed
406-474: The Coast Guard License exam. They may become commissioned reserve officers in any branch of the service when graduating from USMMA or a ROTC scholarship from one of the other maritime schools. The Maritime Subsidy Board negotiates contracts for ship construction and grants operating-differential subsidies to shipping companies. The Maritime Administrator is vested with the residual powers of
435-704: The Director of the National Shipping Authority, which was established in 1951 to organize and direct emergency merchant marine operations. The Maritime Security Program (MSP) authorizes MARAD to enter into contracts with U.S.-flag commercial ship owners to provide service during times of war or national emergencies. As of 2007, ten companies have signed contracts providing the MSP with a reserve of sixty cargo vessels. Government agency#United States A government agency may be established by either
464-524: The Governorate-General appointed Ernest Hébrard as the master architect for the redesign of the city. The Governorate-General was also responsible for the complete incorporation of Macedonia into the Greek state despite the difficult circumstances of the interwar period . Other successes of the Governorate-General at the time include the establishment of numerous government agencies, including
493-476: The creation of Courts of Appeal, Courts of First Instance and District Courts, the creation of an independent archaeological department, a forestry department and public services, and the provision of shelter to hundreds of thousands of refugees after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s. According to Presidential Decree no. 167 (2 September 2005), the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace
522-649: The executive branch, with a few located in the legislative branch of government. By enacting the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in 1946, Congress established some means to oversee government agency action. The APA established uniform administrative law procedures for a federal agency's promulgation of rules and adjudication of claims. The APA also sets forth the process for judicial review of agency action. General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace The Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace ( Greek : Υπουργείο Μακεδονίας και Θράκης, ΥΜΑΘ )
551-604: The ministry was downgraded to a General Secretariat within the Ministry of the Interior , until it was re-established as a separate ministry in 2012. With the legislative election of SYRIZA in January 2015, the ministry was once more subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior and Administrative Reconstruction , headed by a deputy minister. Shortly after the Hellenic Army entered Thessaloniki on 26 October 1912, King Constantine I demanded that he be given control of
580-484: The newly acquired region of Macedonia , but Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos had already decided that the fate of the region would lie with his minister of justice, Konstantinos Raktivan , who arrived in the city on 30 October. His position within the Governorate-General of Macedonia was so powerful that his power matched that of the prime minister and caused dismay among the other ministers in Athens . Raktivan
609-565: 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
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#1732771819628638-533: 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
667-625: 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 the government. The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace ( Greek : Γενική Γραμματεία Μακεδονίας-Θράκης), previously Ministry for Macedonia and Thrace ( Greek : Υπουργείο Μακεδονίας-Θράκης)
696-673: Was demoted to a general secretariat in 2009, but was re-established as a ministry in 2012, and again demoted to a sub-ministry within the Ministry of the Interior on 27 January 2015. It is housed in Government House in Thessaloniki . The ministry was founded in 1912 as the Governorate-General of Macedonia ( Γενικὴ Διοίκησις Μακεδονίας ) following the acquisition of Macedonia during the Balkan Wars . It
725-495: Was later succeeded by other prominent politicians of Greece, such as Stefanos Dragoumis , Emmanouil Repoulis and Themistoklis Sofoulis . Despite its limited freedom of action in later years, the Governorate-General of Macedonia managed to produce an astonishing amount of work between its founding in 1912 and the creation of the Ministry of Northern Greece in 1955. Following the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 ,
754-487: Was made up of the following departments: Since the Metapolitefsi , there have been twenty Ministers for Macedonia and Thrace from two parties, New Democracy and PASOK . The first to assume the post following the fall of the military junta in 1974 was Nikolaos Martis . Stavros Kalafatis served as the last minister before the ministry's abolition upon the election of George Papandreou in 2009. The ministry
783-444: Was promoted to cabinet level in the late 1920s and renamed the Governorate-General of Northern Greece ( Γενικὴ Διοίκησις Βορείου Ἑλλάδος ) in 1945, after being merged with the Governorate-General of Thrace ( Γενικὴ Διοίκησις Θράκης ). It was renamed the Ministry of Northern Greece ( Ὑπουργεῖον Βορείου Ἑλλάδος ) in 1955. The third name change occurred in 1988, when it was renamed the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace . In 2009,
812-427: Was re-established on 21 June 2012 after the election of Antonis Samaras , but was again absorbed by the Ministry of the Interior on 27 January 2015 after the election of Alexis Tsipras . The Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace is responsible for "the development of the border regions of Greece, giving Northern Greece the opportunity to acquire a voice and role in the political and economic processes". In particular,
841-765: Was responsible for administering subsidy programs, maintaining the national defense reserve merchant fleet, and operating the United States Merchant Marine Academy . In 1961, the Federal Maritime Board regulatory functions were assumed by the newly created Federal Maritime Commission , while the subsidy functions were assigned to the Maritime Subsidy Board of the Maritime Administration. On August 6, 1981, MARAD came under control of
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