Chapter 13 URLs

The Student Side of the The Challenge of Democracy Site

Updated March 10, 2017

Internet Links for Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy

Chapter 13 deals with arguably the most powerful political officer in the democratic world, the President of the United States. But as the chapter makes clear, the president's power is distinctly limited in domestic policy. The president does not make the laws, only signs bills enacted by Congress. The president also does not directly control the economy; that's the job of the Chair of the Federal Reserve System. Use these links to learn more about the presidency.

Government Organization and Resources

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse: TRAC bills itself as a source for comprehensive, independent, and nonpartisan information about federal enforcement, staffing, and spending.
NARA Archival Research Catalog: NARA is the nation's record keeper: "Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever. Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you." Of special note are its links to the Federal Register (contains all government regulations), Executive Orders, and Public Papers of the President.
Code of Federal Regulations: Called the CFR, it is the codification of the general and permanet rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
GPO Access: A service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government.

Other Government Agencies

List of Federal Agencies: Wikipedia compiled a long list of federal agencies with links to each.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Home Page: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent United States government agency. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC's jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.
Department of Homeland Security: The Department of Homeland Security has a vital mission: to secure the nation from the many threats we face. This requires the dedication of more than 230,000 employees in jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency response, from cybersecurity analyst to chemical facility inspector.
Department of the Treasury: Its official mission is to maintain a strong economy and create economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. Government's finances and resources effectively.