• The Federal Government is the nation's largest employer.US Kapitol - Washington D.C. - USA image by Clemens Birkert from Fotolia.com
  
  The Federal Government was established to provide public services, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is the nation's largest employer. Its main duties include defending the nation and representing its interests abroad, developing and implementing national laws and regulations and administering domestic programs to assist the public maintain and improve their lives. It is divided into three branches: legislative, judicial and executive. The executive branch, which provides the greatest number of departments and services, employs 97 percent of federal employees and has wide-ranging duties.
  
  

Cabinet Departments

• The Executive Office of the President, 15 executive Cabinet departments, and some 70 independent agencies, all have clearly defined duties. Each of the 15 cabinet departments is engaged in activities pertaining to a specific aspect of life and is overseen by a Secretary that sits on the President's Cabinet. The largest department is the Department of Defense which coordinates and supervises all activities pertaining to national security and the armed forces. The smallest department is the Department of Education which monitors and distributes financial aid to schools and students. The Department of Health and Human Services is an important department since it coordinates health and social science research, assures the safety of prescription drugs and administers Medicare, Medicaid, and other social service programs for some of the nation's most vulnerable citizens. Other cabinet departments are Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, Treasury, Justice, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Commerce, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Labor and State.
  
  

Independent Agencies

• There are many independent agencies that perform duties that fall between the jurisdiction of the Federal Government's three branches. These include: the Social Security Administration that oversees senior, survivor and disability benefits insurance programs; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that oversees aviation research and space exploration; and the Environmental Protection Agency which tries to control and reduce the nation's pollution.
  
  

Smithsonian Institute

• According to the National Archives, even the world's largest museum complex and research organization, the Smithsonian Institution, is an independent agency of the federal government, with the mission to "increase and diffuse knowledge among citizens." The Institution comprises 19 museums, nine research centers and the National Zoo, all of which are available free of charge to the public, every day of the year, except December 25.