War & the Administrative State, 1776–1900

The American administrative state existed in real and influential form from the earliest days of the republic. As in many countries, war contributed to the development of the administrative state. This essay surveys the extensive warfare actions of the United States in the long nineteenth century, from conflicts with Indigenous peoples in the Ohio Valley through U.S. engagement in the Philippines. The essay also examines developments in the administrative state that simultaneously complemented warfare and fighting during this era: namely, preparation (including recruitment, inspection, discipline, planning, logistics, and taxation) and postconflict management (including institutional reform, nation-building and governance, and pension and benefits programs). The essay pays particular attention to questions of bureaucratic autonomy and democratic accountability within the American administrative state prior to the twentieth century

Accountability · Autonomy · Bureaucracy · Democracy · Indigenous · State (computer science · American History and Culture · Asian American and Pacific Histories · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights