NIJamesHughes Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 The Short list of Independent Government Agencies: A Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) www.achp.gov African Development Foundation www.adf.gov Agency for International Development (USAID) www.info.usaid.gov American Battle Monuments Commission www.abmc.gov AMTRAK www.amtrak.com Appalachian Regional Commission www.arc.gov Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board www.access-board.gov B Ballistic Missile Defense Organization www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms www.atf.treas.gov Bureau of Arms Control www.state.gov/www/global/arms/bureauac.html Bureau of Engraving & Printing www.bep.treas.gov Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov Bureau of the Census www.census.gov Bureau of Transportation Statistics www.bts.gov C Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services cms.hhs.gov Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) www.cia.gov Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigations Board (USCSB) www.chemsafety.gov Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) www.cftc.gov Commission on Civil Rights www.usccr.gov Commodity Futures Trading Commission www.cftc.gov Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) www.cpsc.gov Corporation For National Service (CNS) www.cns.gov D Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency www.darpa.mil Defense Information Systems Agency www.disa.mil Defense Intelligence Agency www.dia.mil Defense Logistics Agency www.supply.dla.mil Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board www.dnfsb.gov Defense Security Service www.dss.mil Defense Threat Reduction Agency www.dtra.mil Drug Enforcement Administration www.usdoj.gov/dea E Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) www.epa.gov Equal Employment Opportunity Commission www.eeoc.gov Export-Import Bank of the U.S. www.exim.gov F Farm Credit Administration (FCA) www.fca.gov Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board www.financenet.gov/fasab.htm Federal Aviation Administration www.faa.gov Federal Bureau of Investigation www.fbi.gov Federal Communications Commission (FCC) www.fcc.gov Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) www.fdic.gov Federal Election Commission (FEC) www.fec.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) www.fema.gov Federal Energy Regulatory Commission www.ferc.fed.us Federal Highway Administration www.fhwa.dot.gov Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB) www.fhfb.gov Federal Labor Relations Authority www.flra.gov Federal Maritime Commission www.fmc.gov Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service www.fmcs.gov Federal Mine Safety & Health Review Commission www.fmshrc.gov Federal Railroad Administration www.fra.dot.gov Federal Reserve System www.federalreserve.gov Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board www.frtib.gov Federal Trade Commission (FTC) www.ftc.gov Food & Drug Administration www.fda.gov G General Accounting Office www.gao.gov General Services Administration (GSA) www.gsa.gov Ginnie Mae www.ginniemae.gov I Immigration & Naturalization Services www.usdoj.gov/ins Institute of Museum and Library Services www.imls.gov Inter-American Development Bank www.iadb.org Inter-American Foundation www.iaf.gov Internal Revenue Services www.irs.ustreas.gov International Bank for Reconstruction & Development www.worldbank.org International Labor Organization www.us.ilo.org International Monetary Fund www.imf.org International Trade Commission (USITC) www.usitc.gov L Legal Services Corporation www.lsc.gov M Medicare Payment Advisory Commission www.medpac.gov Merit Systems Protection Board www.mspb.gov N National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) www.nasa.gov National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) www.nara.gov National Bioethics Advisory Commission www.bioethics.gov National Capital Planning Commission www.ncpc.gov National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) www.nclis.gov National Council on Disability (NCD) www.ncd.gov National Credit Union Administration www.ncua.gov National Endowment for the Arts http://arts.endow.gov National Endowment for the Humanities www.neh.gov National Highway Traffic Safety Administration www.nhtsa.dot.gov National Imagery & Mapping Agency www.nima.mil National Institute of Justice www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij National Institute of Mental Health www.nimh.nih.gov National Institute of Standards & Technology www.nist.gov National Institutes of Health www.nih.gov National Labor Relations Board www.nlrb.gov National Mediation Board www.nmb.gov National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration www.noaa.gov National Park Service www.nps.gov National Science Foundation (NSF) www.nsf.gov National Security Agency (NSA) www.nsa.gov National Skill Standards Board www.nssb.org National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC) www.nttc.edu National Telecommunications Information Administration www.ntia.doc.gov National Transportation Safety Board www.ntsb.gov Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation www.nw.org Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) www.nrc.gov O Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission www.oshrc.gov Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight www.ofheo.gov Office of Government Ethics www.usoge.gov Office of Personnel Management (OPM) www.opm.gov Office of Special Counsel www.osc.gov Office of Thrift Supervision www.ots.treas.gov Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development www.oecdwash.org Organization of American States www.oas.org Overseas Private Investment Corp. www.opic.gov P Pan American Health Organization www.paho.org Patent & Trademark Office www.uspto.gov Peace Corps www.peacecorps.gov Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) www.pbgc.gov Postal Rate Commission www.prc.gov R Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) www.rrb.gov S Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) www.sec.gov Securities Investor Protection Corp. www.sipc.org Selective Service System (SSS) www.sss.gov Small Business Administration (SBA) www.sba.gov Smithsonian Institution www.si.edu Social Security Administration (SSA) www.ssa.gov Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration www.samhsa.gov Surface Transportation Board www.stb.dot.gov T Tennessee Valley Authority www.tva.gov Trade and Development Agency www.tda.gov U U.S. Customs Service www.customs.gov U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service www.fws.gov U.S. Forest Service www.fs.fed.us U.S. Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov U.S. Institute of Peace www.usip.org U.S. Marshals Service www.usdoj.gov/marshals/ U.S. Office of Government Ethics (USOGE) www.usoge.gov U.S. Treasury www.treas.gov United States Holocaust Memorial Council www.ushmm.org United States Postal Service (USPS) www.usps.gov United Nations Information Center www.unicwash.org V Voice of America (VOA) www.voa.gov W Walter Reed Army Medical Center www.wramc.amedd.army.mil White House Fellows www.whitehousefellows.gov White House Commission on Remembrance www.remember.gov Women's History Commission www.gsa.gov/staff/pa/whc.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidV Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 Actually, the large number of agencies is evidence that the U.S. is NOT a totalitarian state, since it is only a democratic state that must appease a multitude of interest groups. A totalitarian state doesn’t need much beyond Ministries of Information, Education, Peace, and Labor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIJamesHughes Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Actually, the large number of agencies is evidence that the U.S. is NOT a totalitarian state, since it is only a democratic state that must appease a multitude of interest groups. A totalitarian state doesn’t need much beyond Ministries of Information, Education, Peace, and Labor. Right, we have those, too. WhatI meant with the list of agencies is what in America is no longer regulated? I can not think of too many things and the list seems comprehensive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurgessLau Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Right, we have those, too. WhatI meant with the list of agencies is what in America is no longer regulated? I can not think of too many things and the list seems comprehensive... Your title refers to a totalitarian state. What do you mean by that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIJamesHughes Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Your title refers to a totalitarian state. What do you mean by that? dictionary.com to·tal·i·tar·i·an ( P ) Pronunciation Key (t-tl-târ-n) adj. Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed: and specifically 2: of or relating to the principles of totalitarianism according to which the state regulates every realm of life; Look over the list again and see if they missed anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurgessLau Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 (edited) Look over the list again and see if they missed anything Dictionaries, usually, don't define ideas. At best, they list a range of usages of words and phrases. Dictionaries can, however, provide a first step toward forming a definition. Likewise, a list is not a definition, but a list may be useful in the process of forming one. So, what definition then would you suggest for totalitarian state? Because this is a phrase, not a single word, it isn't naming a formal concept. However, the descriptive phrase does tell us that a totalitarian state is a kind of state. Which kind, the kind that ... what? An analogy would be lawn chair. Which kind of chair? The kind people use on their lawns (and leave in the rain). What essential distinguishing characteristic(s) do you believe makes a state totalitarian? (For those readers who aren't familiar with the process of identifying essential characteristics or the process of defining in general, I recommend starting with: "Definitions," The Ayn Rand Lexicon, pp. 117-121.) The next step, I would suggest, would be to take that definition and compare it to the realities of life in the U. S., Australia, Britain or wherever. By that standard is the U. S. a laissez-faire state, a totalitarian state -- or possibly a mixed state? P. S. 1 -- A further question I would like to explore is this: What is the difference, if any, between a dictatorship and a totalitarian state? Or is a totalitarian state one kind -- the complete kind -- of dictatorship? P. S. 2 -- Still further, when you say "totalitarian," do you mean in intent or in fact? Edited January 11, 2005 by BurgessLau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurgessLau Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 dictionary.com to·tal·i·tar·i·an ( P ) Pronunciation Key (t-tl-târ-n) adj. Of, relating to, being, or imposing a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life, the individual is subordinated to the state, and opposing political and cultural expression is suppressed [...] [bold emphasis added.] In the U. S., what would you say is the political authority that has "absolute and centralized control"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIJamesHughes Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Dictionaries, usually, don't define ideas. At best, they list a range of usages of words and phrases. Dictionaries can, however, provide a first step toward forming a definition. Likewise, a list is not a definition, but a list may be useful in the process of forming one. So, what definition then would you suggest for totalitarian state? Because this is a phrase, not a single word, it isn't naming a formal concept. However, the descriptive phrase does tell us that a totalitarian state is a kind of state. Which kind, the kind that ... what? An analogy would be lawn chair. Which kind of chair? The kind people use on their lawns (and leave in the rain). What essential distinguishing characteristic(s) do you believe makes a state totalitarian? (For those readers who aren't familiar with the process of identifying essential characteristics or the process of defining in general, I recommend starting with: "Definitions," The Ayn Rand Lexicon, pp. 117-121.) The next step, I would suggest, would be to take that definition and compare it to the realities of life in the U. S., Australia, Britain or wherever. By that standard is the U. S. a laissez-faire state, a totalitarian state -- or possibly a mixed state? P. S. -- A further question I would like to explore is this: What is the difference, if any, between a dictatorship and a totalitarian state? Or is a totalitarian state one kind -- the complete kind -- of dictatorship? I think that this is essential to a totalitarian state: "a form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute...control over all aspects of life" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominique Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Dictionaries, usually, don't define ideas. At best, they list a range of usages of words and phrases. Dictionaries can, however, provide a first step toward forming a definition. Likewise, a list is not a definition, but a list may be useful in the process of forming one. So, what definition then would you suggest for totalitarian state? Because this is a phrase, not a single word, it isn't naming a formal concept. However, the descriptive phrase does tell us that a totalitarian state is a kind of state. Which kind, the kind that ... what? What essential distinguishing characteristic(s) do you believe makes a state totalitarian? P. S. 1 -- A further question I would like to explore is this: What is the difference, if any, between a dictatorship and a totalitarian state? Or is a totalitarian state one kind -- the complete kind -- of dictatorship? Wikipedia defines it thus: Totalitarianism is any political system in which a citizen is totally subject to a governing authority in all aspects of day-to-day life. It goes beyond authoritarianism, dictatorship, or police state, and even beyond those measures required to sustain total war between states. It involves constant indoctrination achieved by propaganda to erase any potential for dissent, by anyone, including most especially the agents of government. Benito Mussolini originally applied the term to his own regime (1922–1943) in Italy; Italian fascism became fully totalitarian by 1940. Leon Trotsky applied the term to both fascism and stalinism as "symmetrical phenomena" in his 1936 book Revolution Betrayed. Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) popularized the use of the term totalitarianism (notably in her 1951 book The Origins of Totalitarianism) in order to illustrate the commonalities between Nazism and Stalinism as theories of civics. Some people also dub all extreme nationalist, imperialist, fascist and communist regimes as totalitarian — though some fascist regimes, such as Franco's Spain and Mussolini's Italy before World War II, some communist regimes, such as Yugoslavia under Tito, the People's Republic of China under Deng Xiaoping, and Cuba under Fidel Castro, and others, such as Taiwan under Chiang Kai-shek and Indonesia under Suharto, have authoritarian rather than totalitarian characteristics. Many commentators consider the post-Stalin Soviet Union as a post-totalitarian society. State control of all television, radio, and every other mass media makes it relatively easy for totalitarian regimes to make their presence felt, often through campaigns of propaganda or the creation of a vast personality cult. The most frequent examples cited are the Soviet Union under Stalin and Nazi Germany under Hitler. Marxist-Leninists, on the other hand, see capitalism as the oppressive system and sometimes try to make the case that the United States and other advanced capitalist countries can be fairly characterised as totalitarian, citing such examples as control of the media by large corporations, the limited amount of political choice, large numbers of people imprisoned in the United States and the alleged genocide of the Native Americans. So based on their entire entry, I would say that the US is very far from a totalitarian state, one of the first steps towards totalitarian or dictatorship governments though is censorship, and I think the US needs to be careful and start removing controls like the FCC etc to avoid a further slip towards these types of government. Certainly all those agencies aren't neccessary though, esp if they are all funded out of every taxpayers money. My money should only go to those agencies I deem appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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