Name___________________________________
An Examination of the Federal Bureaucracy
When you have completed this assignment, you will have an entirely new understanding of how our federal government
functions. This assignment will show you the depth and complexity of our federal bureaucracy.
 Directions: You will create ONE PowerPoint presentation
The assignment will be due on: ____________________
*Presentations are due on this date regardless of whether or not you are presenting that day*
Independent Federal Agencies and Commissions: http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/
Cabinet departments: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet/
General Suggestions
 Be as specific as possible and don’t be afraid to “jazz” things up to make it more presentable.
 Make sure the fonts are large and readable.
 Strike a balance- don’t bog us down with too much on the slides, but don’t be too skimpy either!
 Slide 1: Intro
 Name of the cabinet department/government agency or commission
 Include a picture of the logo/symbol for the organization
 Provide the URL for the official website and your name
 Slide 2: History
 What year was the cabinet department/agency founded?
 Why was the cabinet department/agency founded? Explain the historical event(s) that surrounded its founding.
Sometimes they are created in response to a national crisis, Presidential directive, or simply “branched off” from
another agency or department.
 Slide 3: Purpose
 What is the current purpose and “job” of the cabinet department/agency? If it has changed over time indicate why and
how. Look for this information in the “about” section. Also look for a mission statement.
 Slides 4-5: Organization and Leadership
 Who is the current secretary/leader? (Provide name and picture!) What was their previous job? (You can leave this off
the slide, but make sure you know it and can share it during your presentation!)
 Structure/Organization: Most will have an organizational chart on their website. Locate and review it. How many
subdivisions/offices exist? See if you can determine just how large the department/government agency is (number of
employees). What appears to be the most important part of this department/agency?
 Slide 6: Recent Controversies and News Stories:
 What issue is your department/agency currently dealing with? You will likely have to search beyond the
department/agency website to find this information. Some of the department/agency websites have “press releases”
on their websites. Make sure the news stories occurred after 2008. Are there ties with interest groups?
 Slide 7: Visual: Video Clip or Political Cartoon on your topic. Please make sure there is a direct connection and the
video is as interesting as it can be…. You may need to search at home.
 Slide 8: Bibliography- List the websites with correct MLA citations Easy Bib, that were used to complete the
presentations. If you venture off the official websites, you need to cite additional sources.
© Not Another History Teacher
Name:_______________________
Bureaucracy Project: Grading Rubric
PPT Layout
POINTS
POSSIBLE
Slide 1:
Intro
___/2.5
Slide 2:
History
___/5
Slide 3:
Purpose
___/10
Slide 4-5:
Organization/Leadership
___/5
Slide 6:
Recent News/Issues and Visual (relevant video and
political cartoon)
Slide 7:
Bibliography
Overall Quality:
 Displays general knowledge of
department/agency- not PPT dependent
 Did not read directly off slides
 Demonstrated evidence of preparation
 Able to sufficiently answer teacher/student
questions
 Slides were “jazzed” up- used color
appropriately; font is large and readable- good
balance with details on slides, 8 slide format
 Ready on time without delay
TOTAL POINTS
TEACHER COMMENTS
___/10
2.5
___/5
___/40
© Not Another History Teacher
Cabinet Departments
1. Department of State
2. Department of Defense
3. Department of Treasury
4. Department of Interior
5. Department of Housing and Urban Development
6. Department of Transportation
7. Department of Education
8. Department of Veteran Affairs
9. Department of Homeland Security
10. Department of Justice
11. Department of Health and Human Services
© Not Another History Teacher
Independent Government Agencies and Commissions
1. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
2. Census Bureau
3. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
4. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
5. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
6. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
7. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
8. Federal Reserve Board
9. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
10. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
11. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
12. National Security Agency (NSA)
13. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
14. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
15. Social Security Administration (SSA)
© Not Another History Teacher