Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
This subject has been under consideration for over 20 years. It was
promised by both political parties in the recent campaign. It has been
repeatedly examined by committees and commissions--congressional,
executive, and voluntary. The conclusions of these investigations have been
unanimous that reorganization is a necessity of sound administration; of
economy; of more effective governmental policies and of relief to the
citizen from unnecessary harassment in his relations with a multitude of
scattered governmental agencies. But the presentation of any specific plan
at once enlivens opposition from every official whose authority may be
curtailed or who fears his position is imperiled by such a result; of
bureaus and departments which wish to maintain their authority and
activities; of citizens and their organizations who are selfishly
interested, or who are inspired by fear that their favorite bureau may, in
a new setting, be less subject to their influence or more subject to some
other influence.
It seems to me that the essential principles of reorganization are two in
number. First, all administrative activities of the same major purpose
should be placed in groups under single-headed responsibility; second, all
executive and administrative functions should be separated from boards and
commissions and placed under individual responsibility, while
quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial and broadly advisory functions should
be removed from individual authority and assigned to boards and
commissions. Indeed, these are the fundamental principles upon which our
Government was founded, and they are the principles which have been adhered
to in the whole development of our business structure, and they are the
distillation of the common sense of generations.
For instance, the conservation of national resources is spread among eight
agencies in five departments. They suffer from conflict and overlap. There
is no proper development and adherence to broad national policies and no
central point where the searchlight of public opinion may concentrate
itself. These functions should be grouped under the direction of some such
official as an assistant secretary of conservation. The particular
department or cabinet officer under which such a group should be placed is
of secondary importance to the need of concentration. The same may be said
of educational services, of merchant marine aids, of public works, of
public health, of veterans' services, and many others, the component parts
of which are widely scattered in the various departments and independent
agencies. It is desirable that we first have experience with these
different groups in action before we create new departments. These may be
necessary later on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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