Agency

organisational part of a government responsible for specific public services, such as health, judiciary, education, transportation, foreign affairs, etc

An agency is an organization which acts on behalf of others. There are commercial agencies, and government agencies.[1] Dictionary.com defines 'agency': "an organization, company, or bureau that provides some service for another: a welfare agency".[2] Actors, models, authors, sportspeople all have agents or agencies.

Bureau

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A bureau is agency within an agency. For example:

United States

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In the United States, government agencies include the United States Department of Homeland Security, which has the job of protecting U.S. citizens; the United States Department of Education, which sets certain rules for how U.S. schools are to be run; and the United States Department of the Treasury, which helps keep track of the nation's money supply.

Sources

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  1. The use of "agency" for a government organisation is an American usage. In the United Kingdom, the word is mostly used for commercial agencies.
  2. "the definition of agency". www.dictionary.com.