Title: The Organization of the Bureaucracy [ushistory.org]
Headings: 8b. The Organization of the Bureaucracy
8b. The Organization of the Bureaucracy
The Cabinet Departments
Government Corporations
Independent Agencies
Regulatory Agencies

Content: Even the experts can't agree on the total number of federal government agencies, commissions, and departments. Most estimates suggest there are probably more than 2,000 of these. They each have an area of specialization — some much broader than others — but their duties often overlap, making administration more difficult. To complicate things even more, many agencies have counterparts at the state and local level. Its size, complexity, and overlapping responsibilities leave the federal bureaucracy open to constant attempts to reorganize and streamline. Congress has the power to create, organize, and disband all federal agencies. Most of them are under the control of the President, although few of them actually have direct contact with the White House. So, the bureaucracy has two masters — Congress and the President. The bureaucracy generally falls into four broad types: Cabinet departments, government corporations, independent agencies, and regulatory commissions
Cabinet departments
Department of State
Treasury Department
Department of Defense
Department of Justice
Department of the Interior
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Energy
Department of Education
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Homeland Security
The Cabinet Departments
The 15 Cabinet departments are each headed by a Secretary who sits on the President's Cabinet.