About GovChart
Mission
GovChart makes the structure of the United States federal government understandable, searchable, and accessible to everyone — from students preparing for the AP Government exam to journalists covering federal agencies to contractors navigating the regulatory landscape.
This is a civic infrastructure project, not affiliated with any political party, government agency, or advocacy organization.
Data Sources
GovChart aggregates data from official public sources:
- Agency structure and leadership: Official agency websites, White House announcements, Senate confirmation records
- Budget data: USAspending.gov — the official source for federal spending data, updated quarterly
- Employee counts: OPM FedScope — the Office of Personnel Management workforce data, updated annually
- Legal basis: Federal Register, Congressional Research Service reports, public law citations
- Committee structure: Congress.gov, official committee websites
- Historical data: National Archives, presidential libraries, Congressional Research Service
Update Cadence
- Leadership changes: Updated within 48 hours of official announcements
- Budget data: Updated quarterly from USAspending.gov
- Structural changes: Updated as agencies are created, reorganized, or abolished
- Employee counts: Updated annually from OPM data
See the changelog for a complete record of data updates.
Methodology
GovChart presents factual, nonpartisan information about government structure. Every data point is sourced from official government records. We do not editorialize, rank, or evaluate agencies. Where leadership positions are vacant or filled by acting officials, we indicate this explicitly. Where data is incomplete, we show “Data not yet available” rather than omitting the entry.
Limitations
- GovChart covers the federal government. State, local, and tribal governments are referenced for context but not comprehensively mapped.
- Sub-agency structure below the bureau level is selectively included for major agencies but not exhaustive.
- Historical data (timeline feature) covers agency creation/abolishment dates and presidential administrations but not historical leadership at the sub-agency level.
- Budget data reflects the most recent available fiscal year and may not reflect continuing resolutions or supplemental appropriations.
Contact
For data corrections, feature requests, or general inquiries: open an issue on GitHub.
Not an Official Government Website
GovChart is an independent civic technology project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the United States government or any government agency. Information presented here is compiled from public sources and should be verified against official government records for official use.