Leadership: Leaders, Followers, Environments

External checks: government agencies

Governmental agencies everywhere, corrupt and inept or effective and honest, have an overarching impact on the lives of citizens. It is difficult to go about one's daily business without feeling their influence, whether it's the garbage collection truck coming down the street, a police car speeding to an emergency, taking off your shoes at the airport check-in line, getting a flu shot, withdrawing money from your federally insured bank, or paying taxes when you buy gas for your car. Government agencies also have an important role in regulation of businesses and in maintaining the rule of law in a country. Some of the many national-level government entities that significantly influence individual and business activities in the U.S. include the following:

• Army Corps of Engineers
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC)
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• Federal Reserve Board (Fed) and its twelve districts
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• National Credit Union Administration
• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
• Office of Thrift Supervision
• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

In addition to the above federal agencies, there are many others with similar ...