Top 10 agencies with the most Facebook fans

The White House currently has more fans than the Washington Redskins -- Facebook fans, that is.

As young people start using Facebook as their primary communication tool, look for more agencies to experiment with social media for interacting with citizens.

White House
Fans: 327,592
A well-traveled site, as to be expected, the White House's Facebook page has plenty of information on administration doings and links to presidential appearances and statements — not to mention lots and lots of comments.

Marine Corps
Fans: 83,144
The Marines' site is hugely popular — but staid and quiet following the Marines’ clampdown on Facebook and other social media earlier this year.

Army
Fans: 49,416
Probably the most heartfelt of government Facebook sites, the Army’s far-flung members and their families can connect with one another and share stories and experiences.

CDC
Fans: 21,257
The Centers for Disease Control seems to have successfully created an engaged and voluble audience while working to fulfill its mission of providing credible, science-based health information.

State Department
Fans: 16,386
The department offers lots of information about Secretary Hillary Clinton’s travels and other diplomatic ventures, in addition to voluminous links to embassy pages. But discussion areas are surprisingly quiet.

NASA
Fans: 7,768
NASA provides an eclectic mix of items pointing to official announcements, with some offbeat stuff thrown in, and a talky fan base of knowledgeable — and sometimes scary — science nerds.

NASA JPL
Fans: 6,536
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is the space agency’s center for robotic missions to the planets and beyond, a natural attraction for an energetic audience that isn’t far behind the agency’s main site.

Library of Congress
Fans: 6,520
The hugely informative site about Library events and its collections is devoid of any public feedback and interaction.

Air Force
Fans: 3,011
A recently created site, the Air Force's Facebook site seems destined for great things based on the reactions it has already received.

Environmental Protection Agency
Fans: 2,608
It carries a lot of the EPA’s announcements, but it’s also actively trying to build a community among the environmentally minded public.

Find more top 10s in the annual Federal List issue.