Don't know the old tale of the frog pot? Click the frog:
The organizational structure of America's federal government can appear quite small;
there are simply three branches:
EXECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE JUDICIAL
(note: historical "total outlays" data at OMB (Office of Management & Budget), shows that
annual federal spending doubled from $1.8 trillion in 2000 to $3.6 trillion in 2011)
But the Executive branch is so large its size is difficult to comprehend;
like the national debt, its size approaches incomprehensibility.
If we go just one level down on the organizational chart of the Executive branch we find a Presidential staff
of almost 500, 15 very large Executive Departments, 69 independent government agencies,
4 quasi-official government agencies, 69 boards, commissions and committees, and over 1000 federal advisory committees.
Here's the short list of agencies, staff & committees comprising the federal Executive Branch:
(Caution: viewing a list that even approximates the size of America's federal government
is a daunting task and may be disturbing to some; viewer discretion is advised.)