# Who Was the Most Powerful Bureaucrat in American History? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2021, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069 "2021-03-31T05:07:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069/41 "2021-04-02T21:17:48Z")
I don’t know if he had the most impact, but Alan Greenspan should at least be in the top tier. He had a massive influence over the entire economy for decades. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069/42 "2021-04-02T23:54:45Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Never heard _that_ before. Cite? I read it in an article years ago. I will try to find the reference. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069/43 "2021-04-03T00:03:13Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > The problem with selecting J. Edgar Hoover is that law enforcement is primarily a local government function. Only about 5% of the total law enforcement in the U.S. works for the F.B.I. I don’t see a problem there. 5% – or whatever small percentage of total law enforcement in the US the FBI may represent – is still an enormous concentrated power, and it was all under the absolute control of J. Edgar for decades. That was the first name that came to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069/44 "2021-04-03T00:15:58Z")
Bennett Cerf told that story in one of his collections. That reply was to _Elendil_ but this Board software lied to me about whether it would be linked. And now that I named him, it **is** linked! I’m learning so much! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069/45 "2021-08-09T18:37:47Z")
Gonna throw Harold Ickes into the mix. Secretary of the Interior for FDR’s entire run, he effectively ran the Public Works Administration and loved battling the oil industry. > **[Harold L. Ickes](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_L._Ickes)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Harold LeClair Ickes (/ˈɪkəs/ IK-əs; March 15, 1874 – February 3, 1952) was an American administrator, politician and lawyer. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for nearly 13 years from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office, and the second longest-serving Cabinet member in U.S. history after James Wilson. Ickes and Labor Secretary Frances Perkins were the only original members of the Roosevelt cabinet who ... ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069/46 "2021-08-09T19:10:54Z")
Yep, he was mentioned in post 23. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-most-powerful-bureaucrat-in-american-history/939069.md?page=2)