FBI, CIA, ONI... we're all in the same alphabet soup.One of the biggest challenges for me has been learning the abbreviations for all the U.S. govt. orgs., old and new. The worst ones have nondescript abbrs. and nondescript names ... how, for example, is anyone expected to remember SBA or General Services Administration?
From North by Northwest
I've divided the list into the common abbrs. (Regular Menu), rarer abbrs. (Specials Menu) and abbrs. for obsolete agencies (Off the Menu). The "Fascinating Facts" column has memorable cluing strategies.
Regular Menu
| Abbr. | Meaning | Fascinating Facts |
| CIA | Central Intelligence Agency | Bush Sr. headed it |
| DEA | Drug Enforcement Administration | Narc's employer |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency | M.P.G. determiners |
| FAA | Federal Aviation Administration | Part of the D.O.T. |
| FCC | Federal Communications Commission | TV monitors |
| FDA | Food and Drug Administration | Medicine approval agcy. |
| GSA | General Services Administration | Fed. property overseer |
| IRS | Internal Revenue Service | Return addressee |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | "The Right Stuff" org. |
| NEA | National Endowment for the Arts | PBS funder |
| NIH | National Institutes of Health | Medical research agcy. |
| NSA | National Security Agency | Govt. code-breaking group |
| OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration | Nixon creation of 1970 |
| SSS | Selective Service System | Subj. of 60's protest |
| TSA | Transportation Security Administration | Airport screening org. |
| USDA | United States Department of Agriculture | Food stamp agcy. |
Specials Menu
| Abbr. | Meaning | Fascinating Facts |
| ATF | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives | Org. that does raids |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Atlanta-based health org. |
| EEOC | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | Fair-hiring grp. |
| FBI | Federal Bureau of Investigation | J. Edgar Hoover's org. |
| FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency | Org. created by Carter in 1979 |
| FHA | Federal Housing Administration | Govt. mortgage provider |
| FTC | Federal Trade Commission | National Do Not Call Registry org. |
| GAO | Government Accountability Office | Fed. auditors |
| NRC | Nuclear Regulatory Commission | A.E.C. successor |
| NSC | National Security Council | Grp. that meets in the Situation Room |
| NTSB | National Transportation Safety Board | Crash-investigating org. |
| OMB | Office of Management and Budget | Govt. book balancer |
| SBA | Small Business Administration | Govt. loan agency |
| SEC | Securities and Exchange Commission | Wall St. watchdog |
| SSA | Social Security Administration | Nine-digit no. issuer |
Off the Menu
| Abbr. | Meaning | Fascinating Facts |
| AEC | Atomic Energy Commission | Nuclear agcy. until 1975 |
| ICC | Interstate Commerce Commission | Transportation regulator of old |
| NRA | National Recovery Administration | Blue Eagle org. |
| ONI | Office of Naval Intelligence | Clandestine maritime org. |
| OPA | Office of Price Administration | W.W. II ration board agcy. |
| OSS | Office of Strategic Services | C.I.A. forerunner |
| REA | Rural Electrification Administration | F.D.R.'s wiring program |
| TVA | Tennessee Valley Authority | Dam-building org. |
| USIA | United States Information Agency | Old Voice of America org. |
| WPA | Works Progress Administration | F.D.R. job-creating measure |
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