Final answer:
The executive branch is divided into many smaller agencies to manage the complex tasks of governing a large nation through specialized and focused efforts. This allows for more efficient enforcement of laws, regulation, and provision of services. The president oversees this vast structure to ensure it aligns with administration objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The executive branch is divided into numerous smaller agencies to effectively manage the wide array of federal responsibilities necessary to run a complex and large nation like the United States. These divisions allow for specialization and focus on detailed and varied tasks that are beyond the scope of normal legislation. Size and complexity of the country demand an executive branch with the capacity to enforce regulation, manage national defense, oversee environmental policies, control economic management, and much more.
There are over two million civilian employees within these departments, with only a small fraction located in Washington, D.C. The growth of this bureaucracy, sometimes considered the "fourth branch of government," is essential for carrying out the laws and services required by the public. Independent executive agencies such as the CIA, NASA, and EPA, operate with specific mandates and add to the complexity of the executive structure.
The president has the onerous task of overseeing this vast bureaucracy and ensuring alignment with presidential policies and goals, despite the individual priorities of each department and agency. The necessity for the myriad arms of the federal bureaucracy will likely continue to grow as new challenges arise, necessitating specialized knowledge and the efficient administration of government policies and initiatives.