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Happy Birthday, Bureaucracy!
On this day in 1789, the first agency of the United States government under the Constitution was created, when President Washington signed into law a measure establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs. Within a few months, the agency took on a new name: the State Department.
As the only federal agency for a time, State had a set of responsibilities that ranged far beyond foreign affairs. Among other things, the department initially managed the U.S. Mint, was responsible for the census and oversaw immigration policy.
And in the category of "the more things change..." the official history of the department notes that in its early years, there were "significant constraints on the Department of State in terms of budget and manpower."
(Hat tip: The State Department's own Alec Ross.)
Tom Shoop is vice president and editor in chief at Government Executive Media Group, where he oversees both print and online editorial operations. He started as associate editor of Government Executive magazine in 1989; launched the company’s flagship website, GovExec.com, in 1996; and was named editor in chief in 2007.
