What They Do

Thumbnail sketches of federal agencies whose top administrators were announced by President-elect Clinton Thursday:

* Transportation: Under the DOT’s umbrella fall nine highly decentralized administrations, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the FAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The department oversees highway planning, urban mass transit, oil and gas pipelines, the regulation of air commerce and the control of air space, railroads and the safety of waterways, ports and highways. DOT also manages the St. Lawrence Seaway to Lake Erie.

* Justice: The department’s thousands of lawyers, investigators and agents work to protect competition in the business world, safeguard consumers, and enforce drug, immigration and naturalization laws. It is charged with ensuring effective law enforcement. The Justice Department conducts all suits in the Supreme Court, represents the government in legal matters, and offers legal advice to the President and to the heads of executive departments.

* Agriculture: The Agriculture Department, with 42 agencies and offices, has a budget of $62.7 million this fiscal year and an estimated 111,000 employees. The department is responsible for subsidies to farmers, rural development, the Forest Service and meat and poultry inspections. It also oversees nutrition programs such as food stamps and school lunches, expected to cost $36 million in fiscal 1993. USDA has field offices in virtually every county in the country.

* Interior: The Interior Department is one of the government’s oldest, dating back to 1849. Its origin coincided with the rapid development of the West, and it still administers more than 500 million acres of federal land. The department includes the National Park Service, which operates the country’s system of federal parks and monuments, including such scenic wonderlands as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. Through its Fish and Wildlife Service, the department enforces the federal law protecting endangered species and engages in an array of marine and biological research. Source: Times wire reports