The executive branch
commission
A multi-member body that governs by vote instead of by a single head, usually with fixed staggered terms and a cap on how many members share a party.
In full
The FEC, FCC, SEC, and FTC are all commissions. The structure is deliberate: several commissioners, terms that outlast a presidency, removal only for cause, and partisan balance requirements, all meant to keep regulation from turning over with each election. The cost is deadlock, which an evenly split commission produces by design.
Also written as: commissioner
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.