What is the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)?

The National Archives and Records Administration is an Independent Federal Agency founded in 1988 in accordance the establishment of amendments to the Inspector General Act of 1978 within which the establishment of the National Archives and Records Administration was created in order to create an organizational system concerning both current and historic Federal documentation, records, and reports. In addition to the furnishing of Presidential speeches, statutes, orders, and actions, the NARA manages the storage and preservation of the following documentation:

The Declaration of Independence; this document managed by the NARA is the official proclamation expressing the cessation of British Monarchical control over the United States of America subsequent its victory in the War of Independence, which occurred in 1776

The Constitution of the United States; this document managed by the NARA outlines the laws, statutes, and administration of all facets of the United States, which ranges from government structure to the rights entitled to the collective citizenry of the United States

The Bill of Rights; this document managed by the NARA is comprised of the first 10 amendments made to the original text of the United states Constitution

NARA Quick Facts

Independent Federal Agencies are typically without a single director or executive; in contrast, independent government agencies – such as the NARA – are overseen by an executive directorial board; due to this fact, the Executive Branch retains less managerial oversight of the NARA than its agency counterparts. Although the President of the United States retains administrative jurisdiction over the NARA, the presence of a committee of directors allows for a decreased executive authority over hiring, staffing, and administration. The following details outline the structuring of the NARA:

The NARA is chaired by Inspector General Paul Brachfeld; in addition to the Inspector General, the executive board of the NARA is comprised of a variety of analysts, compilation technicians, librarians, and archivists
The headquarters of the NARA are located in College Park, Maryland

Independent Government Agencies

Independent Government Agencies are specific organizations and bureaus under the over arching jurisdiction of the Federal Government of the United States; however, these independent agencies are typically without a specified Department responsible for their respective oversight and administration:

NARA: Legal Information and Further Assistance

The operation and administration of the NARA resides under the jurisdiction of the legal field classified as Administrative Law; this genre of law is primarily associated with events and circumstances in which the Federal Government of the United States engages its citizens, including the administration of government programs.

What is the Federal Executive Institute (FEI)?

The Federal Executive Institute is an Independent Federal Agency residing within the State of Virginia; the FEI serves as the primary educational facility and developmental institutions implemented for the professional and managerial cultivation of professional training for Federal officials employed within government departments and agencies rooted within the public sector; the public sector is defined as the realm of Federal employment responsible for the provision of government systems, programs, and monetary transaction involving the collective – and individual – citizenship of the United States of America.

What is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation?

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a corporation within the United States Government formally created by the passing of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation provides deposit insurance, which formally guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks of up to $250,000 per deposit, for consumers and customers of the respective financial institutions. As of last year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, better known as the FDIC, insures deposits at over 7,700 financial institutions throughout the United States of America.

In addition to insuring deposits, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation also examines and supervises certain financials institutions for safety and soundness, as well as performs specific consumer-protection functions. Furthermore, the Federal Deposit Corporation will help construct and manage banks who have failed as a result of massive debts incurred.

To become insured, a financial institution must meet several insurance requirements established by the FDIC. Member banks must follow specific liquidity and reserve requirements; these levels are classified in five groups according to the specific risk-based capital ratio present: Well capitalized (10% or higher), adequately Capitalized (8% or higher), Undercapitalized (8% or lower), Significantly Undercapitalized (less than 6%) and critically undercapitalized (less than 2%).

What is the Federal Labor Relations Authority?

The Federal Labor Relations Authority is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that is responsible for governing labor relations between the federal government and its employees.

The Federal Labor Relations Authority was created by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978; it stands as a quasi-judicial body with three full-time members who are each appointed for five-year terms by the President of the United States with the advice and subsequent consent of the Senate. One member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority is appointed by the President to serve as chairman, chief executive officer and chief administrative officer of the board.

The Federal Labor Relations Authority adjudicates disputes arising under the Civil Service Reform Act; the committee is responsible for deciding cases regarding the negotiability of collective bargaining agreement proposals, exceptions to grievance arbitration awards and appeals concerning unfair labor practices and representation petitions.

What is the Federal Maritime Commission?

The United States Federal maritime Commission is an independent federal agency responsible for the regulation of oceanborne transportation in the foreign commerce industries of the United States of America. The mission of the Federal Maritime Commission is to regulate certain activities of international shipping lines, known as ocean common carriers, marine terminals operators and ocean transportation intermediaries who operate within the foreign commerce industries.

What is the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service?

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government, responsible for providing mediation services to industry, communities, and government agencies throughout the world. In a simplistic sense, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is responsible for settling or resolving disputes between organizations and communities throughout the globe.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service was created under the terms of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (also known as the Taft-Hartley Act), to replace the United States Conciliation Service operating within the Department of Labor. When created, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service offered services upon request or in disputes affecting interstate commerce and was originally required to be notified within 30 days of the expiration of a contract where either side proposed some sort of modification or a request of termination for the existing contract.

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Quick Facts

The following details outline the administration of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service:

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service was founded on June 23 of 1947

The headquarters of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service are located in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is responsible for the jurisdiction over the Federal Government of the United States of America

The head of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is Agency Director George Cohen

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service operates with approximately 275 employees

What is an Independent Government Agency?

An independent agency of the United States Federal Government is a department or organization that exists outside of the federal executive departments or those headed by a Cabinet secretary. In a more specific sense, the term Independent Government Agency, is used to describe agencies that, while constitutionally operating within the executive branch, are free from presidential authority or control, as a result of the President’s limited membership within the agency.

Independent government agencies are established through separate statutes passed by the United States Congress; each respective statutory grant of authority will define the goals or mission that the agency must work towards, in addition to the substantive areas, if applicable, over which the Independent Agency may have the power of rulemaking. These agency regulations, when enforced, maintain the power of federal law.

What is the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission?

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is an independent adjudicative agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for providing administrative trial and appellate review of legal disputes which specifically arise under the regulations and statutes outlined under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Amendments Act, better known as the Mine Act of 1977.

What is the In Q Tel?

The In Q Tel is a non-profit venture capital firm that invests in high-tech companies for the sole purpose of equipping the Central Intelligence Agency with the most updated and technologically-advanced equipment in the world. In summation, In Q Tel is responsible for supporting the United States’ intelligence capability through investment.

Originally called Peleus, In Q tel was formally launched in 199 under the direction of Gilman Louie. As it is maintained now, the mission of In Q Tel is to identify and invest in companies who develop cutting-edge technologies that serve the nation’s security interests.

What is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission?

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an Independent federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for enforcing laws to prevent workplace discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will discourage unfair treatment in the workplace by investigating discrimination complaints that may arise based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, perceived intelligence, age, religion, disability and any acts of retaliation for reporting and/or opposing discriminatory practices.

What is the Farm Credit Administration?

The Farm Credit Administration is an independent agency of the United States Governments’ Executive branch. The Farm Credit Administration is responsible for examining and regulating the banking systems, associations and related entities of the Farm Credit System—a network of borrower-owned financial institutions that were created to provide liens of credit to farmers, ranchers and agricultural cooperatives. The Farm Credit Administration derives its authority from the passing of the Farm Credit Act of 1971.

The powers awarded to the Farm Credit Administration, although realigned and refurbished by the passing of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, has its roots in the Farm Credit Act of 1933. This originally legislation, which was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, helped farmers refinance their mortgages over a longer period of time at or blow market interest rates.