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A government agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of types of agency. 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 organisation (such as commissions) are normally used for advisory functions, but this distinction is often blurred in practice. A government agency may be established by either a national government or a state government within a federal system. (The term is not normally used for an organization created by the powers of a local government body.) 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[1] 1546 by King Henry VIII and the British "Commissioners of Bankruptcy" established[2] in 1570. The United States Library of Congress was founded[3] in 1800 and is, unusually, an agency of the legislative branch of government. From 1933, the New Deal saw rapid growth in US federal agencies, the "alphabet agencies" as they were used to deliver new programs mandated by legislation, such as federal emergency relief.
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