agency

Agency refers to the capacity of individuals or groups to act with intention and purpose in order to influence events or outcomes. It encompasses the ability to make choices, pursue goals, and take responsibility for those actions. In the social sciences, agency is examined in relation to social structures, norms, and power; discussions often contrast human agency with structural constraints, exploring how people navigate or reshape their circumstances.

In philosophy and sociology, agency is linked to concepts of autonomy, decision-making, and accountability. The study of agency engages questions about freedom, moral responsibility, and the extent to which actions are shaped by external forces such as institutions, culture, and socio-economic conditions. The structure–agency debate^ centers on how much individuals can act independently versus how much their behavior is determined by larger systems.

Institutional and organizational meanings of agency include government agencies, regulatory bodies, and public service organizations that operate with delegated authority to implement policy, enforce rules, or deliver services. In the private sector, an agency is a business entity that represents or assists clients—examples include advertising agencies, talent agencies, and travel agencies. An intelligence or security agency is a government body responsible for information gathering and national defense.

In legal terms, agency denotes a fiduciary relationship in which an agent acts on behalf of a principal, creating liability for the actions of the agent and establishing duties of loyalty, care, and disclosure.

Overall, agency denotes both the capacity to act with intentionality and the organized structures that enable or constrain such action, with implications for empowerment, responsibility, and governance.