Government Agencies
Agencies are various organizations or entities within the government. Learn more about agencies like the FBI, foster care, the Postal Service or Customs.
What's the Difference Between a Democracy and a Republic?
New Belgian Comic Strip Passports Increase Security and Fun
8 Fascinating Findings From the 2020 Census
What to Do if Your Vote Is Challenged on Election Day
Why Does the U.S. House of Representatives Have Only 435 Seats?
Do Campaign TV Ads Really Change Voters' Minds?
Is the U.S. Prepared to Handle Natural Disasters During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The Defense Production Act Was Designed for Emergencies Like Coronavirus
The Waffle House Index Is at Code Red; That's Not Good
Who Are the Sanctioned Russian Oligarchs?
How British Parliament Works
Nearly 1,000 U.S. Streets Named After MLK Jr. What Are They Like?
What Does the Speaker of the House Do?
Who Was the Worst President in U.S. History?
When Abortion Was Illegal, Women Turned to the Jane Collective
How Does the U.S. Government Declassify Top Secret Documents?
How Does the U.S. Classify Its Most Sensitive Documents?
Why Data Encryption Remains a Really Complex Issue
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There's a dream job for everyone, and sometimes that's almost everybody else's nightmare job. Meet the four women who will run the "penguin post office" in Antarctica.
Affirmative action, LGBTQ rights and election laws are all on the Supreme Court's new docket. And how SCOTUS rules stands to change many Americans' lives. Here's what to expect for the 2022-2023 session.
Do you have a complaint to lodge against a large business, or a government agency or university, but feel like you're going up against a giant? Then you may just need an ombudsman on your side.
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When you think of the Secret Service, you probably think of the people in black guarding the president of the United States. But that's just a small part of the job. What else does this agency do?
By John Donovan
The Department of Justice claims to be the world's biggest law office, but it does everything from operating prisons to conducting counterespionage operations.
When the U.S. president comes to town, it's time to get off the roads. As fast as you can.
By John Donovan
Ruth Bader Ginsburg may have been tiny, but she left a huge mark on the U.S. judicial system in the 27 years she served on the Supreme Court, more than earning her nickname the "Notorious RBG."
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Former U.S. presidents draw a hefty pension for life, but what about members of Congress? You might be surprised to know where your tax dollars are going to fund their retirement.
Brett Kavanaugh's nomination certainly isn't the worst the U.S. has seen. Anybody remember Harriet Miers?
By John Donovan
When a Supreme Court justice retires, there's a lot of speculation and political maneuvering regarding the replacement. Find out how Supreme Court justices are nominated, who is qualified to serve and how a nominee is approved.
The exact summer-evoking scents of the stamps won't be revealed until the dedication party on June 20, 2018.
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Anyone can submit an idea for a postage stamp, but who decides which ideas make the cut?
Are we ready to go back to a pre-EPA USA? Take a look at a series of pics from the National Archives to see what it was like before the agency was formed.
By Sarah Gleim
The longest mail route in America is nearly 200 miles. The shortest? Less than 1 mile.
By Dave Roos
The USDA just wiped out thousands of online records documenting abuses at zoos, circuses, universities and research facilities, outraging animal rights activists.
By Sarah Gleim
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The Department of Defense relies on nuclear force systems that are 53 years old. These critical systems were brand-new when President Kennedy was assassinated.
While the FDA originated amid the Civil War, it took a 20th century novel about the horrors of meatpacking to convince the government to officially regulate what goes into our bodies. How does the FDA keep us safer these days?
We may be living in the age of the Internet, but simple shortwave radio transmitters still play a part in the espionage game. The huge benefit: There's no trail.
Spying is an important part of government intelligence gathering. This collection of pictures gives you an insight into this highly secretive task.
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The EPA was established to protect human health and the environment. How does the agency interpret and enact environmental legislation?
By Sarah Dowdey
The U.S. Postal Services delivers 143 billion pieces of mail a year. But it's been struggling financially for years. Will it survive? And how do your letters get to the right place?
Maybe you're involved in a covert operation. Maybe you're just curious. Spies have developed their own language of code words in order to keep from being discovered. We don't need to know, but you should learn the 11 terms used by spies here.
The U.S. Marshals Service is the oldest law enforcement agency in the nation. Learn about famous U.S. Marshals and the duties and history of U.S. Marshals.
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Spies have shaped foreign policy, altered the course of wars and left a deep (though usually hidden) impression on world history. It's a tense and often deadly job.
When the FBI announced two years ago that it no was longer using its Carnivore Internet surveillance software, it seemed like a victory. Find out why the techniques employed in the new ISP-based surveillance approach may be even more evasive.
By Julia Layton