The Handbook for Integrity in the Department of Commerce

The question of whether the Department of Commerce exhibits integrity in its operations
requires an examination of all the bureaus and the strategic goals it purports to promote. One of
the goals involves activity surrounding trade and investment but others appear to be misplaced.
One such goal is the environment. Below are the mission statement and the primary topics on
which this department puts their efforts.
The mission statement is: “to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. As
part of the administration’s economic team, the Secretary of Commerce serves as the voice of U.
S. business within the President’s Cabinet.”
Learning about the mission of this department and how it operates will help to determine
whether integrity and excellence exist within this government entity. The strategic goals and
evaluating the organizational structure with respect to these goals will provide a basis for
forming an opinion as to whether their operational processes benefit our economy or is a
hindrance.
The Department of Commerce is heavily involved in our economy as indicated by the title
and what they do with regards to decisions and activities impacts our entire society. Decisions
made in the past have been good in some respects but others were misguided. Some of this
information will be examined within the structure of the chapters going forward. We are a
strong country and our economy is strong and this department can play a major role in making it
stronger through the regulations that it generates or that it eliminates.