Preface

• Pages: iii-iv

iii

Preface

As the off‌icial handbook of the Federal Government, The United States Government

Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative,

judicial, and executive branches. The Manual also includes information on quasi-

off‌icial agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates;

and boards, commissions, and committees.

A typical agency description includes a list of principal off‌icials, a summary

statement of the agency’s purpose and role in the Federal Government, a brief history

of the agency, including its legislative or executive authority, a description of its

programs and activities, and a “Sources of Information” section. This last section

provides information on consumer activities, contracts and grants, employment,

publications, and many other areas of public interest.

The Manual is also available and periodically updated on its own website. The U.S.

Government Manual website (usgovernmentmanual.gov) is jointly administered by the

Off‌ice of the Federal Register (OFR)/Government Printing Off‌ice (GPO) partnership.

The website offers three ways to f‌ind information about Government agencies and

organizations by entering a term in the keyword search box, browsing categories,

or using “The Government of the United States” site map for an overview of the

Government.

The 2012 Manual was prepared by the Presidential and Legislative Publications

Unit, Off‌ice of the Federal Register. Alfred W. Jones was Managing Editor; Matthew R.

Regan was Chief Editor, assisted by Heather McDaniel, Lois Davis, Joseph Frankovic,

Martin Franks, Joshua Liberatore, and Joseph Vetter.

THE FEDERAL REGISTER AND ITS SPECIAL EDITIONS

The Manual is published as a special edition of the Federal Register (see 1 CFR 9.1).

Its focus is on programs and activities. Persons interested in detailed organizational

structure, the regulatory documents of an agency, or Presidential documents should

refer to the Federal Register or one of its other special editions, described below.

Issued each Federal working day, the Federal Register provides a uniform system for

publishing Presidential documents, regulatory documents with general applicability

and legal effect, proposed rules, notices, and documents required to be published by

statute. For more information and to look at the Federal Register online, go to www.

federalregister.gov.

The Code of Federal Regulations is an annual codif‌ication of the general and

permanent rules published in the Federal Register. The Code is divided into 50 titles

that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. The Code is kept up to date by

the individual issues of the Federal Register. For more information and to look at the

Code of Federal Regulations online, go to www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.

action?collectionCode=CFR.

The Compilation of Presidential Documents serves as a timely, up-to-date reference

source for the public policies and activities of the President. It contains remarks, news

conferences, messages, statements, and other Presidential material of a public nature

issued by the White House. The Compilation of Presidential Documents collection is

composed of the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents and its predecessor,

the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. For more information and to look