I am curious as to which branches of the US gov. you think would be considered the least criticized

[Kadmos1]

I am curious as to which branches of the US gov. you think would be considered the least criticized by mainstream media and to which are arguably the most reputable. This thread welcomes both objective and subjective responses. As there are hundreds of agencies, Wikipedia’s “List of federal agencies in the United States” page is perhaps 1 of the best lists.

For me, I would argue NASA and the Library of Congress for there reputation of progress through science, technology, and the humanities. Heck, the LoC is perhaps more reputable at adhering to the Copyright Clause than Congress and SCOTUS.

[Jackmannii]

I hardly ever hear anyone bitching about the Tennessee Valley Authority.

[PastTense]

Not NASA. NASA’s involvement in the human exploration of space involves massive costs but little is accomplished. And if there is a setback NASA responds by freezing operations (the Challenger explosion with a 32 month hiatus in the program).

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

And of course many say that the money should be spent solving problems on Earth instead of wasting it on space.

The Social Security Administration has a good reputation.

[septimus]

@Jackmannii

I hardly ever hear anyone bitching about the Tennessee Valley Authority.

I don’t recall hearing TVA mentioned at all for decades, but this pernicious venture into Marxism still “rung a bell.” And indeed Google took me to

A partial list of the things that the [John Birch] Society describes as wicked, Communist, and dangerous includes: U.S. membership in the United Nations, the International Labor Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Trade Organization, and UNICEF; membership in GATT (the General Agreement on Trades and Tariffs); reciprocal trade agreements; the “useless and costly” NATO; “so-called defense spending”; all foreign aid; diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and all other Communist nations; the National Labor Relations Act; social security; the graduated income tax; the Rural Electrification Administration, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, and TVA; government wage and price controls; “forced integration”; “deliberately fraudulent” U.S. government bonds; the Federal Reserve system; urban renewal; fluoridation; metro government; the corporate dividend tax; the “mental health racket”; federal aid to housing; and all programs “regimenting” farmers.

If Ann Coulter and Paul Ryan aren’t still calling for the privatisation of TVA, it’s probably just because they, like I, have forgotten about it.

[zimaane]

The Congressional Budget Office is well regarded.

I’ve never heard a negative word about the Coast Guard

[septimus]

@zimaane

The Congressional Budget Office is well regarded.

I think you underestimate the contempt modern Republicans have for anything which has been soiled by sanity.

@https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/republicans-cbo-hhs-score-bcra/534480/

Republicans have ignored those concerns in favor of agitation against the CBO. A June Fox News op-ed from North Carolina Representative Robert Pittenger claims the CBO “only provides unsupported conclusions, as it is based on highly questionable predictions.” ***The president’s aides called recent CBO scores “little more than fake news” ***in a Washington Post op-ed, and the White House has also released videos on social media attacking the agency’s conclusions. House Speaker Paul Ryan attempted in March to preempt an earlier CBO score with a presentation of his own analysis, and on Thursday he called the most recent CBO report “bogus.”

[Hari_Seldon]

I think the administrators of medicare are generally well regarded. I think most would put the IRS at or near the bottom.

[Gatopescado]

National Parks?

[mumbles]Goddamn Coast Guard and Tennessee Valley Authority![/mumbles]

[cornflakes]

@Jackmannii

I hardly ever hear anyone bitching about the Tennessee Valley Authority.

If you canoed, rafted or kayaked, then you would have. TVA’s lease agreement for using the Ocoee River was due to expire in 2018. I can’t recall the details, but while the agreements for other entities on other rivers require accommodation for recreational use TVA’s usage agreement for the Ocoee does not. TVA’s announced rate increases for rafting companies would have decimated the rafting industry, taking an estimated $44M out of Polk County and the surrounding area’s economy. The state of Tennessee and other organizations stepped in to negotiate and finance recreational releases, but TVA’s proposed increases came as a shock and left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of people.

[Flyer]

@Kadmos1

I am curious as to which branches of the US gov. you think would be considered the least criticized by mainstream media and to which are arguably the most reputable. This thread welcomes both objective and subjective responses. As there are hundreds of agencies, Wikipedia’s “List of federal agencies in the United States” page is perhaps 1 of the best lists.

For me, I would argue NASA and the Library of Congress for there reputation of progress through science, technology, and the humanities. Heck, the LoC is perhaps more reputable at adhering to the Copyright Clause than Congress and SCOTUS.

Branches are not the same as agencies. You seem to be confused about that.

[Kadmos1]

Flyer, thank you for clarifying. I suppose it should it should be which “I am curious as to which agencies of the US gov. you think would be considered the least criticized”.

PastTense, Wikipedia’s “Social Security (United States) § Criticisms” and “Social Security (United States)” has a lot more controversy/criticism than one might think.

For LoC criticisms, check out “The Library of Congress needs a professional librarian, not a ‘scholar-in-chief’” (a 7/6/16 RStreet article) or “The Library of Congress is criticized by the Government Accountability Office” (a 4/3/15 Melville House article). The Melville mentions how LoC-run Copyright Office has cost taxpayers $10,000,000s and the CC’s system is both inefficient and outdated. With all the lobbying media companies and estates do for longer and stricter copyright terms, you think they would be generous enough to help modernize the Copyright Office’s systems.

[kopek]

Library of Congress is the only one I can think of that I have never personally heard criticized.

[Reply]

@Gatopescado

National Parks?

Did you already forget when they openly rebelled against Trump and posted a bunch of climate change FAKE SCIENCE? :rolleyes:

Trump also wants to privatize them. Hell, they’re already partially privatized (concessions/lodging vendors).

I love our parks, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not free of criticism…

[Reply]

@Kadmos1

Flyer, thank you for clarifying. I suppose it should it should be which “I am curious as to which agencies of the US gov. you think would be considered the least criticized”.

PastTense, Wikipedia’s “Social Security (United States) § Criticisms” and “Social Security (United States)” has a lot more controversy/criticism than one might think.

For LoC criticisms, check out “The Library of Congress needs a professional librarian, not a ‘scholar-in-chief’” (a 7/6/16 RStreet article) or “The Library of Congress is criticized by the Government Accountability Office” (a 4/3/15 Melville House article). The Melville mentions how LoC-run Copyright Office has cost taxpayers $10,000,000s and the CC’s system is both inefficient and outdated. With all the lobbying media companies and estates do for longer and stricter copyright terms, you think they would be generous enough to help modernize the Copyright Office’s systems.

Wouldn’t this be better measured as some sort of satisfaction RATIO? If some random small agency doesn’t get a lot of criticism, that doesn’t mean necessarily mean it’s doing a good job, maybe just that it’s flying under the radar. Maybe limit to the only big agencies of a certain size/budget?

[kopek]

@Reply

Did you already forget when they openly rebelled against Trump and posted a bunch of climate change FAKE SCIENCE? :rolleyes:

Trump also wants to privatize them. Hell, they’re already partially privatized (concessions/lodging vendors).

I love our parks, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not free of criticism…

I more remember the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone; that was why I eliminated them. We humans are strange; whatever is done almost always someone is bound to be against it. Especially if it involves the word “government”.

[Ravenman]

Asking which are the least criticized is an odd question. The public may not criticize an agency either because they support it, or because they don’t know it exists.

Does the OP mean to ask, which agencies of the Federal government have the most general support? I’d say the Smithsonian museums. People come to DC and they may stop by the Library of Congress (to mention another agency that has come up a few times) and they say, “Wow, nice building.” They go to the various Smithsonian museums and say, “Wow! And this is all FREE!?!?”

But here is a recent poll on people’s attitudes toward a handful of government agencies. You’ll never guess who number one is!

[kopek]

@Ravenman

But here is a recent poll on people’s attitudes toward a handful of government agencies. You’ll never guess who number one is!

I guessed right! But I am one of the few people today who use them a lot and realize just how dependable and affordable they are compared to other countries.

[Kadmos1]

Ravenman, I mean the agencies of the federal government that has the most general support, as well agencies you folks feel personally feel get the least amount of criticism both in general and in the mainstream media.