Saving your Cabinet Department
MYP Project: Honors Government
With the recent talk of budget cuts, governmental downsizing, and avoiding the fiscal cliff, the President has decided the bureaucracy in Washington has grown out of control. Your agency or department might be axed! To save your agency/department, craft an advertisement (poster and speech) "selling" your department/agency.
A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies
Library standards:
Vision: "Our vision is to provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our Nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands." |
Highlighted publications & resources
Department of Agriculture: Budget
National Agricultural Statistics Service: provides useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.
National Agricultural Library Digital Collections: provides access to historical USDA publications.
USDA National Nutrient Database: Search or browse for the complete nutritive contents of over 8,000 foods. Use the filters on the left side of the page to limit your results to food category.
Mission: ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. |
Highlighted resources:
Department of Education: Budget
Mission: "With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values." |
Highlighted resources and administrations:
Department of Homeland Security: Budget and Performance
DHS News: find press releases, text of speeches, and more here.
Homeland Security Digital Library: A research collection of open-source resources related to homeland security policy, strategy and organizational management. Curated by the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
Transportation Secuirty Administration: the TSA "protects the Nation's transportations systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce."
Federal Emergency Management Administration: FEMA supports citizens and first responders in preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters.
Mission: "To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans." |
Highlighted offices, divisions, and bureaus:
Department of Justice: Budget and Performance
Office of the Attorney General: in addition to this main site, check out the publications page.
Civil Rights Division: this division of the DOJ works to "uphold the civil and consitutional rights of all Americans," especially the most vulnerable.
Federal Bureau of Investigation: in addition to this main site, check out the crime statistics page.
Mission: "Ensure our nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world; that improves the quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural to urban, and increases the productivity and competitiveness of American workers and businesses." |
Highlighted activities and areas of focus:
Federal Aviation Administration: the FAA's mission "is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world." Check out their data and research page.
Federal Transit Administration: in addition to their main site, check out their reports and publications, and their research page.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics: under the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, this bureau administers "data collection, analysis, and reporting."
Department of Transportation: Budget, Performance, and Plans
Mission: "The mission of the Department is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity." |
Highlighted commerce bureaus:
Department of Commerce: Budget
United States Census Bureau: leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): This agency works to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.
United States Patent and Trademark Office: This is the Federal agency responsible for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks.
Mission: "The mission of the Energy Department is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions." |
Highlighted agencies and offices:
Department of Energy: Budget and Performance
Advanced Research Projects Agency: this recently formed agency focuses on "creative 'out-of-the-box' transformational energy research," among other things.
Office of Scientific and Technical Information: this office "collects, preserves, and disseminates DOE-sponsored research and development results."
Mission: "HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination, and transform the way HUD does business." |
Highlighted bureaus and administrations:
HUD USER: This resources contains housing research and data sets as well as publications of HUD research.
Homelessness: Follow this link for resources and information about homelessness; also see HHS information above.
Mission: "To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights." |
Highlighted bureaus and administrations:
Bureau of Labor Statistics: this bureau is responsible for "measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy."
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Congress created this administration in 1970 to "ensure safe and healthful working conditions."
Bureau of International Labor Affairs: this bureau ensures that "workers around the world are treated fairly and are able to share the benefits of the global economy."
Mission: "The U.S. Department of the Treasury's mission is to maintain a strong economy and create economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. Government’s finances and resources effectively." |
Highlighted resources and agencies:
Tax Policy: here you'll find Treasury-produced documents related to taxes and tax policy.
Data and Charts Center: this page contains raw data, graphs, and charts on Treasury topics.
Internal Revenue Service: the IRS is the nation's tax collection agency and administers the Internal Revenue Code.
Department of the Treasury: Budget, Financial Reporting, Planning and Performance
Mission: "The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our country and sustain American influence abroad." |
Highlighted documents and sites:
Department of Defense: Budget
Department of Defense News Releases: News releases are official statements of the DOD, which include casualty notices. Archived releases are online from Oct. 1994 on.
Joint Chiefs of Staff: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the President, though all JCS members are considered law military advisers
Military Departments: The official sites for the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and more can be found on this page.
Greta's Links: Useful blog from respected librarian Greta Marlatt, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
Mission: "The mission of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. We fulfill that mission by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services." |
Highlighted agencies:
Department of Health and Human Services Budget and Performance
Food and Drug Administration: the FDA works to protect and advance the public health by assuring the safety of food, drugs, and more, and by speeding innovations in the field.
Center for Disease Control: the CDC promotes health and the prevention of disease, and creates tools and information to help people protect their health.
National Institutes of Health: the NIH is "the nation's medical research agency." Check out the various institutes, centers, and offices at the NIH.
Homelessness: Information from HHS; also see HUD information below.
Mission: "The Department of the Interior (DOI) conserves and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people, provides scientific and other information about natural resources and natural hazards to address societal challenges and create opportunities for the American people, and honors the Nation’s trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities to help them prosper." |
Highlighted bureaus and agencies:
U.S. Geological Survey: the USGS "collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues and problems."
Bureau of Land Management: the BLM is responsible for carrying out programs for the management and conservation of resources on public lands.
Bureau of Indian Affairs: in addition to their main site, check out their document library.
Mission: "The U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity." |
Highlighted publications and documents:
Major State Department Publications: the most requested publications and reports to congress are highlighted.
Daily Press Briefings: read press briefings from 2009 to the present at this link, [archived briefings from 2001-2009 here, or archived briefings from 1997-2001 here.]
State Plans, Performance, and Budget: quick links to the most recently published Dept. of State performance-related plans and reports.
Mission: "To fulfill President Lincoln's promise “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s veterans." |
Highlighted resources:
2018 VA Agency Financial Report: Our Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Agency Financial Report (AFR) provides information enabling the Congress, the President, and the public to assess our stewardship over the financial resources entrusted to us and our performance as an organization.
National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics: this center collects, analyzes and disseminates key statistics on the Veteran population and VA services.
VA Media Room: visit this page for news releases, speeches, publications and more.
Veteran's Services: this page details the services and resources available to veterans.