In the United States, there are hundreds of federal and state government agencies that regulate different functions of industry and consumer safety. Administrative agencies may also be referred to as organizations, commissions, or departments. In addition, each addresses specific policy issues. For instance, FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is responsible for emergency response efforts across the nation. The Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) mission is to defend the U.S. by collecting and analyzing information. NGA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, is responsible for providing combat support through the development of imagery and map-based intelligence. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts environmental research and ensures industry compliance with environmental regulations and statutes.

At times these agencies work together to solve problems and enforce the regulations for which they are responsible. For example, following complaints in Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama of strong sulfur odors, property damage, and certain health symptoms believed to be caused by defective Chinese drywall, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) opened a $3.5 million investigation to examine allegations. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) worked together to analyze the problem. In 2009, officials banned imports and notified warehouse owners not to sell their supply of the defective drywall.

When conducting legal research, it is important to understand the roles of the many administrative agencies and how each one influences policy change. This enables you as a researcher to understand how the different agencies apply their authority and which agencies regulate specific policy issues.

To prepare for this assignment:

• Review Chapter 4 in your course text, Legal Research Methods. Concentrate on methods for researching regulatory and administrative law.
• Review the assigned pages of Chapter 5 in your course text, Principles of Legal Research. Focus on forms of agency lawmaking and resources for federal regulation.
• Select a policy issue in which there is federal agency involvement.
• Use the LexisNexis Academic database in the Walden Library, and search for secondary resources related to this issue. Under the Law Reviews section of the Legal Tab, use the sources US Law Reviews and Journals, Combined and American Jurisprudence 2d. Identify all of the agencies that might help to address the issue you selected.
• Using the LexisNexis Academic database or any of the regulatory resources located in the article “Tracking Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources,” locate three federal regulations related to the issue you selected. Consider how these regulations impact the policy issue. If using LexisNexis, search in the Federal & State Codes section of the Academic Legal Tab in the LexisNexis database, using the CFR – Code of Federal Regulations and FR – Federal Register sources.

The assignment: (2–3 pages)

• Briefly describe the policy issue you selected.
• Identify all relevant agencies related to the issue and explain each agency’s role in addressing the policy issue.
• Briefly describe three federal regulations related to the issue and explain their impact on the issue.

Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course