Which Statement Best Describes Agency?

• A. An Informal Community Group
• B. An Arm Of The Private Sector
• C. Includes Authority: Board, Bureau, Commission, Committee, Council, Department, District, Division, Office
• D. An Elected Legislative Body

Answer: (C)

An agency is a formal government body with defined authority to carry out public programs. The statement that describes includes authority in the form of boards, bureaus, commissions, committees, councils, departments, districts, divisions, and offices because these are the common organizational units that compose and empower such a body. They show the structure and reach of the agency within the government and its ability to implement laws and deliver services.

Informal community groups don’t have formal government authority. The private sector arm is outside government, focusing on private interests rather than public administration. A legislative body is a separate branch's entity and not the typical structure that defines an agency, even though legislatures may oversee or create agencies.