Alphabet agencies

The earliest agencies were created to combat the Great Depression in the United States and were established during Roosevelt's first 100 days in office in 1933.

Libertarian author William Safire notes that the phrase "gave color to the charge of excessive bureaucracy."

Democrat Al Smith, who turned against Roosevelt, said his government was “submerged in a bowl of alphabet soup.

"[2] While previously all monetary appropriations had been separately passed by Act of Congress, as part of their power of the purse; the National Industrial Recovery Act allowed Roosevelt to allocate $3.3 billion without Congress (as much as had been previously spent by government in ten years time), through executive orders and other means.

Many are members of the United States Intelligence Community,[3][4] and several were founded or expanded in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.