The case for new agencies.

Franklin Roosevelt was a great believer in starting new agencies to get a job done. They don't have to defend old mistakes. They can hire the best people instead of having to retain the old employees, too many of whom are short on talent or set in the wrong ways. Consider the incredible accomplishments of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration in putting millions of the unemployed to work during the Depression. During the war, many new agencies functioned well. What has always amazed me most is the Office of Price Administration, which managed to hold prices down in the face of incredible inflationary pressures generated by shortages not just of gasoline but of almost everything.

I was a part of a new agency, the Peace Corps, in 1961, and know how exciting it can be to be involved with a whole bunch of people, almost all of whom have the right stuff. This doesn't mean that you ignore the value of experience. But it does mean you're free to pick off the best of the experienced people from other agencies and mix them in with bright young people capable of learning fast and motivated to give the job their best.