Agencies are entities which are created by the federal government to fulfill an obligation or role that is deemed to be in the best interest of the country.

Agencies might also also be known as Commissions, and they can be formed by legislative action, or through the direction of a specific Department or Branch of the government. Some federal agencies are known as Commissions, Task Forces, or Administrations, but all are generally tasked with a specific responsibility or focus.

Different government entities can “birth” an agency or commission, and they can also be quickly dissolved, although many of them continue to exist indefinitely. Agencies tend to be more long-term, while Commissions may only be meant to exist for a short time to perform one task.

Agencies can have large bureaucratic structures and large budgets. They are sometimes part of the government and sometimes they are only created by the government before they become an independent entity. Their function could range from regulating the mortgage industry to protecting national security.

There are somewhere around 130 government agencies as of 2016.

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