Ebook: Are Government Organizations Immortal?

An examination of the major units of federal executive departments shows that government agencies tend to persist, once established, but that terminations and dismantling is not negligible.

In a study of 175 federal government organizations that existed in 1923, Kaufman found that 148, or nearly 85%, were still functioning in 1973. Only 27 had disappeared during the 50-year period, and in the meantime more than 240 new ones had sprung up.