FDLP Resource Guides: Federal Independent Establishments and Government Corporations: Home

Overview

According to the 2022 edition of the United States Government Manual, there are 58 Federal independent establishments and government corporations (IEGC). This guide provides a brief overview about them.

IEGCs include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Postal Service (USPS), National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK), and United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) (Image sources (left to right): NAID: 237616384, NAID: 5612642, NAID: 556701, and NAID: 540034).

Flowchart on the Structure of the Federal Government

Below is a general flowchart on the structure of the Federal Government. The IEGCs fall under the Executive Branch (which are italicized and highlighted in yellow below). See the United States Government Manual for a more detailed flowchart.

Information on IEGCs

Click on tabs of this box to see more information about each IEGC. Every tab has a table that contains the full name, the main website, and mission statement of each IEGC. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Election Commission (FEC), National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, Peace Corps, United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and United States Social Security Administration (SSA) are some examples of IEGCs.

Name	Mission or Vision Statement
Administrative Conference of the United States	Mission: "To identify ways to improve the procedures by which federal agencies protect the public interest and determine the rights, privileges, and obligations of private persons."
AmeriCorps (formerly Corporation for National and Community Service)	Mission: "To improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering."
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)	Mission: "Leverage the power of information to keep our Nation safe."
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)	Mission: "To promote the integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of the U.S. derivatives markets through sound regulation."
Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB)	Vision: "A consumer finance marketplace that works for American consumers, responsible providers, and the economy as a whole."
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board	Mission: "to provide independent analysis, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy to inform the Secretary, in the role of the Secretary as operator and regulator of the defense nuclear facilities of the Department of Energy, in providing adequate protection of public health and safety at such defense nuclear facilities, including with respect to the health and safety of employees and contractors at such facilities."
Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank)	Mission: "To support American job creation, prosperity and security through exporting."
Farm Credit Administration (FCA)	Mission: "To ensure that Farm Credit System institutions and Farmer Mac are safe, sound, and dependable sources of credit and related services for all creditworthy and eligible persons in agriculture and rural America."

Name	Mission or Vision Statement
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)	Mission: "Regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories."
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)	Mission: "To maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system."
Federal Election Commission (FEC)	Mission: "To promote confidence and participation in the democratic process."
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)	Mission: "Ensure the regulated entities fulfill their mission by operating in a safe and sound manner to serve as a reliable source of liquidity for equitable and sustainable housing finance and community investment throughout the economic cycle."
Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)	Mission: "To ensure a competitive and reliable international ocean transportation supply system that supports the U.S. economy and protects the public from unfair and deceptive practices."
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)	Mission: "To build better, more effective workplace relationships and mitigate the damage from inevitable conflict through preventive dialogue, honest communication, and responsive strategies."
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC)	Mission: "Provides administrative trial and appellate review of legal disputes arising under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act)."
Federal Reserve System (The Fed)	Mission: "Conducts the nation's monetary policy, promotes the stability of the financial system, promotes the safety and soundness of individual financial institutions, fosters payment and settlement system safety and efficiency, [and] promotes consumer protection and community development."
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB)	Mission: "To help current and former civilian employees and members of the uniformed services prepare for their retirement years via the TSP [Thrift Savings Plan]."
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)	Mission: "Protecting the public from deceptive or unfair business practices and from unfair methods of competition through law enforcement, advocacy, research, and education."
Inter-American Foundation (IAF)	Mission: "Invests in community-led development across Latin America and the Caribbean."

Name	Mission or Vision Statement
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)	Mission: "explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery."
National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC)	Mission: "Works with federal agencies as it seeks to preserve and enhance the extraordinary historical, cultural, and natural resources and federal assets of the National Capital Region to support the needs of the federal government and enrich the lives of the region's visitors, workers, and residents."
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)	Mission: "Protecting the system of cooperative credit and its member-owners through effective chartering, supervision, regulation, and insurance."
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities (NEH)	Mission: "Promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans."
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)	Mission: "To safeguard employees’ rights to organize, engage with one another to seek better working conditions, choose whether or not to have a collective bargaining representative negotiate on their behalf with their employer, or refrain from doing so."
National Mediation Board (NMB)	Mission: "Facilitates labor-management relations within the nation’s railroad and airline industries."
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK)	Mission: "To deliver a high quality, safe, on-time rail passenger service that exceeds customer expectations."
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)	Mission: "Making transportation safer."

Name	Mission or Vision Statement
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC)	Mission: "To decide contests of citations or penalties that OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] issues to employers following inspections of American work places."
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI)	Mission: "To lead intelligence integration and forge an intelligence community that delivers the most insightful intelligence possible."
Peace Corps	Mission: "To promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals: 1) to help the countries interested in meeting their need for trained people, 2) to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served [and] 3) to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans."
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)	Mission: "Protects the retirement incomes of over 31 million American workers in private sector defined benefit pension plans."
Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC)	Mission: "Ensure transparency and accountability of the United States Postal Service and foster a vital and efficient universal mail system."
Selective Service System	Vision: "To be a trusted, actively engaged national defense partner and the sole source of conscripted talent for national security in the event of a national emergency."
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)	Mission: "Serve the people of the Tennessee Valley to help the region thrive and grow."

Name	Mission or Vision Statement
United States African Development Foundation (USADF)	Mission: "To foster hope, growth, and goodwill in Africa."
United States Agency for Global Media (formerly Broadcasting Board of Governors)	Mission: "To inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy."
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)	Mission: "Promote and demonstrate democratic values abroad, and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world."
United States Commission on Civil Rights	Mission: "To inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil rights laws."
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)	Vision: "To be the recognized global leader in consumer product safety."
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)	Mission: "To protect human health and the environment."
United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)	Mission: "Prevent and remedy unlawful employment discrimination and advance equal opportunity for all."
United States Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)	Mission: "To promote stable, constructive labor relations that contribute to a more effective and efficient government."
United States General Services Administration (GSA)	Mission: "To deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people."
United States International Development Finance Corporation (formerly Overseas Private Investment Corporation)	Mission: "To help address development challenges and foreign policy priorities of the United States."
United States International Trade Commission (USITC)	Mission: "Investigate and make determinations in proceedings involving imports claimed to injure a domestic industry or violate U.S. intellectual property rights; provide independent analysis and information on tariffs, trade and competitiveness; and maintain the U.S. tariff schedule."

Name	Mission or Vision Statement
United States Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)	Mission: "Protect the Merit System Principles and promote an effective Federal workforce free of Prohibited Personnel Practices."
United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)	Mission: "To provide equitable public access to federal government records in our custody and control."
United States National Science Foundation (NSF)	Mission: "Promote the progress of science; advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and secure the national defense."
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)	Mission: "To ensure the safe use of radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes while protecting people and the environment."
United States Office of Government Ethics (OGE)	Mission: "To prevent financial conflicts of interest to help ensure government decisions are made free from personal financial bias."
United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM)	Mission: "Serves as the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the Federal Government."
United States Office of Special Counsel (OSC)	Mission: "To safeguard the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices (PPPs), especially reprisal for whistleblowing."
United States Postal Service (USPS)	Mission: "To provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service... [and] to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people."
United States Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)	Mission: "To administer comprehensive retirement-survivor annuities and unemployment-sickness benefits for the nation’s railroad workers and their families, under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts."
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)	Mission: "Protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation."
United States Small Business Administration (SBA)	Mission: "Helps Americans start, grow, and build resilient businesses."
United States Social Security Administration (SSA)	Mission: "Provides financial protection for our nation’s people, supporting Americans throughout all of life’s journeys."
United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)	Mission: "Helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies."

Related GPO Resources

GPO has information about IEGCs. These include on the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Reserve System, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United States General Services Administration. Click on each of the tabs in this box to see some of the featured resources from the FDLP Academy, FDLP Resource Guides, and FDLP Web Archive.

The FDLP Academy offers free webinars and webcasts for Federal Depository Libraries and the general public. Its mission is to "create and deliver enhanced educational opportunities to the FDLP community by fostering collaboration, by facilitating knowledge sharing, and through the application of new methods and use of multiple mediums" about U.S. Government resources. The following webinars contain information related to IEGCs.

	The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): A new window to the infrared Universe Recorded on February 1, 2023 Length of Time: 60 minutes Speaker: Louis Barbier (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
	An Overview of the Affordable Connectivity Program Recorded on May 8, 2023 Length of Time: 30 minutes Speaker: Keyla Hernandez-Ulloa (Federal Communications Commission)
	Role of Regulations.gov in the Federal Rulemaking Process Recorded on February 8, 2023 Length of Time: 54 minutes Speaker: Tobias Schroeder (United States General Services Administration)
	Understanding the Fed: Public Documents and the Federal Reserve System Recorded on May 24, 2023 Length of Time: 59 minutes Speakers: Pamela Campbell and Genevieve Podleski (St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank)

If interested in learning more about topics that related to, but not specifically about, IEGCs, check out the following FDLP Resource Guides.

There are two ways to access information about IEGCs through the FDLP Web Archive:

Via the FDLP Web Archive itself: Archive-It - Federal Depository Library Program Web Archive.
And by accessing cataloging records for these collections via the U.S. Catalog of Government Publications (CGP): FDLP Web Archive - FDLP Web Archive (gpo.gov).

Federal Independent Establishments and Government Corporations

GovInfo

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

Open Educational Resources

Permalink to this Guide

Overview

Flowchart on the Structure of the Federal Government

Information on IEGCs

Related GPO Resources