I have listed a sample of most of the existing organizations in the U. S. Government, which I believe should be carried forward with or without modification to GOV21. This is a mere first approximation that illustrates the sort of analysis that must be conducted (only in much greater depth) to merge a government at any level with its GOV21 counterpart. A brief identification of each of the organizations that is to be carried forward is listed below in the categories with which they are now identified and the changes they might undergo as they are merged into Gov21 are given below:
a. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
b. Federal Reserve System
c. General Services Administration (GSA)
d. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
e. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
f. National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
g. Office of Personnel Management
h. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
i. Small Business Administration (SBA)
j. Social Security Administration (SSA)
k. U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
l. U. S. Postal Service.
m. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
n. Federal Trade Commission
It seems as if each of these could become a department in GOV21 without major change.
a. Government Printing Office
b. Library of Congress
c. U. S. House of Representatives
d. U. S. Senate
The Government Printing Office and the Library of Congress could become departments within GOV21 with a possible name change. The House of Representatives and the Senate shall be replaced by the Legal Department in Gov21.
The Smithsonian Institution is the only organization in this category and should be permitted to operate much as it has in the past except that it shall need an ombudsman within the GOV21 structure to represent it on issues of budget, planning and protocol.
I have ignored these. They shall need to be examined in future developments of this subject.
These are, in the order of presidential succession:
4. State
5. Treasury
6. Defense
7. Justice
8. Interior
9. Agriculture
10. Commerce
11. Labor
12. Health and Human Services
13. Housing and Urban Development
14. Transportation
15. Energy
16. Education
17. Veterans’ Affairs
18. Homeland Security[i]
Each of these exists to perform several functions; they would be, for the most part, sorely missed if they were absent. Some of them may be duplicates of one or more of the 28 new departments described above. Others may have similar or identical names, but consist of a much larger conglomeration of functions than would lead to good control under the direction of the voters. In general, each department in the proposed structure shall have the following properties:
· Its area of responsibility shall have a direct, easily-described impact upon the voting public or some portion of the voting public. For example, the Department of the Interior is responsible for a spectrum of functions, many of which have distinctly different affects upon the lives of the public. It seems inappropriate, therefore, to have a single management team lead that department as it exists today. Instead, it would seem preferable to have a single management team for each of its individual functions (responsibilities), such as Bureau of Indian Affairs, national parks, wildlife refuges, etc. In this way, if a voter thinks that a good job is being done in managing the national parks, but a poor job of managing Indian Affairs, he/she can vote so as to discriminate these differing opinions.
· The responsibility of each department shall not overlap the responsibility of any other department.
In general, the functions of each of the departments of the existing government and of the proposed government need to be examined with respect to conformance to these principals. This necessary detailed and definitive structural analysis is beyond the scope of this concept paper and shall be postponed for later consideration; however, a first approximation can be made to illustrate the nature of the process as follows:
This office shall continue to exist in title only. As Gov21 implementation proceeds, the functions of the President shall gradually change from what they are today to the quite different functions they shall be in the final implementation.
The State Department shall be separated into three new departments responsible for:
a. Submitting treaties and agreements with other nations and the UN (or an equivalent international organization) for ratification by the voters.
b. Representing U. S. citizens abroad through the U S Embassies.
c. Representing the U. S. in international conferences.[ii]
There is no intention to reorganize the Defense Department. Instead, the plan is to eliminate it.
In the interest of the citizens of the United States and all of their offspring for generations to come and in the interest of all mankind, we should make every effort humanly possible to achieve global disarmament. A minimal weapon set will be tolerated but nothing more lethal. This goal should apply as a way of reducing violence globally, though exceptions shall be allowed for the armed forces.
To the extent that disarmament is achieved, the defense forces of the U. S. should be scaled down. “We must recognize that we cannot depend on the governments of the world to abolish war, because they and the economic interest they represent benefit from war. . . . Albert Einstein understood this simple fact. . . . Einstein said, ‘Wars will stop when men refuse to fight.’”[iii] The U. S. should become a leader in the use of diplomacy and utilize force or coercion only in the form of contributing troops and weapons to authorized UN actions. The hope is that a determined public will apply pressure to cause this sort of change in the control of violence. In that event, the main function of the Defense Department would become to downscale and obsolete itself; no other change to Defense Department structure is proposed.
The Treasury Department functions shall be separated into four new departments as follows:
a. Formulating and submitting financial, tax and fiscal policies to the voters for ratification.
b. Serving as financial agent for the U. S. Government. This is the responsibility of the Finance Department described above and the two shall be combined.
c. Enforcing laws that have to do with Alcohol, Tobacco or Firearms. Consolidation of this function with other law enforcement agencies should be examined. What, other than history, justifies this being separate from other law enforcement agencies such as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Department of Justice?
d. Manufacturing coins and currency.[iv]
The Justice Department shall be split into 7 new departments with the following functions:
a. Criminal detection—the FBI. This is the same item as in the Needs and Wants List and should not be duplicated.
b. Enforcing laws that have to do with Alcohol, Tobacco or Firearms—the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade. See item c under Treasury Department.
c. Detection, capture and transport of U. S. fugitives—The U. S. Marshall’s Service. Does this need to be distinct from other law enforcement?
d. Enforcement of laws that have to do with possession and/or use of elicit substances—the DEA. Again, where does this fit with respect to other law enforcement agencies? Is it needed as a distinct agency?
e. Adjudicating immigration and naturalization cases.[v]
f. Criminal Prosecution—prosecuting violators of U. S. laws including antitrust laws.[vi]
g. Prisons—Management and operation of U. S. Prisons.[vii]
The Interior Department shall be split into 11 new departments with the following areas of responsibility:
a. U. S. public lands and minerals
b. National parks.
c. National wildlife refuges.
d. Water—managing western water resources.
e. Commitments to Indian tribes and island communities.
f. Migratory wildlife conservation.
g. Historic preservation.
h. Endangered species.
i. Surface-mined land protection and restoration.
j. Mapping.
k. Geological, hydrological and biological science.[viii]
The Agriculture Department is concerned with the production of food and fibers. Therefore, it performs the functions needed to achieve the “Food” item in the Needs/Wants List and in so doing performs the same functions in relation to the production of fibers. This department has the following 5 responsibilities:
a. Help to curb and cure poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
b. Help landowners protect the soil, water, forests and natural resources. This contributes to the “Environmental Protection” item in the Needs/Wants List above.
c. Conduct rural development and credit programs.
d. Conduct agricultural research.
e. Safeguard and ensure standards of quality in the daily food supply through inspection and grading services.[ix]
The Department of Commerce should be split into 9 departments according the functions it performs:
a. Offers assistance and information to increase America’s competitiveness in the world economy.
b. Administers programs to prevent unfair foreign trade competition.
c. Provides social and economic statistics and analyses for business and government planners.
d. Provides research and support for the increased use of scientific, engineering and technological developments.
e. Works to improve our understanding and benefits of the Earth’s physical environment and oceanic resources. This contributes to the “Environmental Protection” item in the Needs/Wants List above.
f. Grants patents and registers trademarks.
g. Develops policies and conducts research on telecommunications. Does the research part of this belong in Commerce?
h. Provides assistance to promote domestic economic development.
i. Assists in the growth of minority businesses.[x]
Health and Human Services (HHS)
The Department of Health and Human Services should be split into 5 departments according the functions it performs:
a. Oversees Medicare and Medicaid.[xi] This overlaps somewhat with the “Medical Care” item in the Needs/Wants List above.
b. Assures the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, and products that emit radiation; making medicines and foods effective, safer and more affordable.[xii] This overlaps somewhat with the “Medical Care” and “Food” items in the Needs /Wants List above.
c. Performs medical research to make important discoveries that improve health and save lives.[xiii]
d. Provides health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.[xiv]
e. Provides health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability.[xv]
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
The Department of Housing and Urban Development should be split into 3 departments according to the functions it performs:
a. Assists in making housing affordable through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae).
b. Provides rental or home ownership assistance to disadvantaged persons.
c. Provides block grants to states and cities to help them meet locally defined needs for housing, community development and basic services.[xvi]
The Department of Transportation is dedicated to making transportation safer, less congested, better connected, environmentally friendly and fully operational in all conditions. It should be split into 10 departments according to the administrations of which it is formed:
a. Federal Aviation Administration
b. Federal Highway Administration
c. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
d. Federal Railroad Administration
e. Federal Transit Administration
f. Maritime Administration
g. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
h. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
i. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
j. Research and Innovative Technology Administration[xvii]
The Department of Energy’s mission is to foster a secure and reliable energy system that is environmentally and economically sustainable, to be a responsible steward of the Nation’s nuclear weapons; to clean up the Department’s facilities; to lead in the physical sciences and advance the biological, environmental and computational sciences; and to provide premier scientific instruments to the Nation’s research enterprise. It should be split into five departments according to the missions it now carries out:
a. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.[xviii]
b. Twelve facilities.[xix]
c. Twenty-one laboratories.[xx]
d. National Nuclear Security Agency.[xxi]
e. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.[xxii]
The Department of Education is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout. This department has the same name as the one called for in the Needs/Wants List above but contributes much less to a smaller audience than is imagined in the Needs/Wants List. Its only real contribution that is visible for real people in the legacy government is its Office of Student Financial Assistance, which provides financial assistance through grants and work and loan programs to students pursuing a postsecondary education. This function shall be grossly expanded in Gov21 so that any person might realize his/her educational aspirations at all levels where qualified.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs operates programs to benefit veterans and members of their families.[xxiii] It is a legacy department that should continue unchanged. If we can eliminate wars perhaps this department will eventually outlive its usefulness and be discontinued.
The Department of Homeland Security is intended to protect the nation against further terrorist attacks. [xxiv] It should be split into the following 7 departments:
a. Secret Service
b. Border Patrol
c. Customs and Immigration enforcement
d. Coast Guard
e. Federal Emergency Management Agency {FEMA)
f. Nuclear Incident Response Team
g. Office of Domestic Preparedness.
[i]. U. S. Gov Info/ Resources, http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa010298.htm
[ii]. About the U. S, Department of State, http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/statepage.htm.
[iii] . Zinn, Power 189-90.
[iv] . About the U. S. Department of the Treasury, http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/treaspage.htm.
[v] . U. S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review, http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/.
[vi] . About the U. S. Department of Justice, http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/dojpage.htm. and Rothenberger, Chapter 11.
[vii] . About the U. S. Department of Justice, http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/dojpage.htm.
[viii] . About the U. S. Department of the Interior, http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/doipage.htm
[ix] . About the U. S. Department of Agriculture, http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/usdapage.htm
[x] . About the U. S. Department of Commerce, http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/commercepage.htm
[xi] . U. S.Department of Health and Human Services, http://www.hhs.gov/about/whatwedo.html/.
[xii] . U. S. Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov/opacom/morechoices/mission.html.
[xiii] . National Institutes of Health, http://www.nih.gov/about/index.html#mission.htm.
[xiv] . Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/about/html.
[xv] . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC - About CDC Home Page.
[xvi] . Hud Strategic Plan for 2006, http://www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf12/hudmission.cfm
[xvii] . U. S. Department of Transportation Strategic Plan for 2006, http://www.dot.gov/stratplan2011/index.htm#_ftn3
[xviii] . LSU Library’s Federal Agencies Directory, http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/tree
[xix] . LSU Library’s Federal Agencies Directory, http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/tree.
[xx] . LSU Library’s Federal Agencies Directory, http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/tree.
[xxi] . National Nuclear Security Administration, About NNSA - Home -- NNSA/nnsa.htm.
[xxii] . Strategic Petroleum Reserve, http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/spr/
[xxiii] . About the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/vapage.htm.
[xxiv] . About the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/agencies/a/dhspage.htm.