Regulatory Agencies and Commissions of the Federal Government
pdf
version
The Interstate Commerce Commission (or ICC) was created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. It was the first regulatory body in the United States. Its mission was to regulate what was seen as unfair practices of railroads that were driving many farmers out of business.
The ICC served as a model for later regulatory efforts. As time passed its role extended far beyond regulating railroads. On December 29, 1995, the 108-year-old Interstate Commerce Commission was disbanded.
Today there are approximately 1000 government regulatory
agencies. They impact every aspect of citizen’s lives. Some examples
of regulatory agencies are: EPA, FCC, FTC, OSHA, FDIC and the NRC.
What part of the U. S. Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate commerce?
Select a governmental regulatory body. Collect the critical facts.
Name -
History - When was it founded? List several important actions taken.
Who are its current officers. How are they selected? How long do they serve?
Where is the agency or commission’s headquarters located?
How does it monitor or enforce its regulations?
Explain how one of their regulations impacts your life or the lives of the people in your community.
Do you believe the impact is positive or negative?
What recourse do citizens have when they do not support the regulations or they oppose proposed regulations?
Extra challenge: Does your state government have a similar agency?
| Constitution ms/hs | Bill Of Rights | Constitution Essays | Constitution & Civics Projects | |
| The Yes Men - democracy for sale - Try your hand at this approach to dealing with a problem facing you today. | ||||
| Center for Media and Democracy - PR Watch investigating public relations spin and propaganda | ||||
Internet Hunts / Nature / Computers / Pennsylvania Projects / Puzzles & Projects / Constitution Studies / Site map / Home
posted 9/2006 by Cynthia J. O'Hora, released to public domain
Save a tree - use a digital answer format - Highlight the text. Copy it. Paste it in a word processing document. Save the document in your folder. Answer on the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or font (avoid 
, 
or other ornate artistic fonts). Save frequently as you work. Or perhaps you have the resources to record verbal answers. If you do, be sure to first read / record the question. Then record the answer immediately after it. Make your own answer sheet
Proof your responses. It is funny how speling errors and typeos sneak in to the bets worck. 