It is hard to imagine today, but in 1802 the entire federal headquarters numbered 291 people, of whom 138 comprised Congress itself. The executive branch totaled 132. The State Department had ten employees, the war and navy departments thirty, and the attorney general's office one: the attorney general. The government played no part in law enforcement, justice, agriculture, business, transportation, health, education, and welfare. Aside from 6,500 military personnel, the federal bureaucracy nationwide amounted to 2,875 people, and the only way it affected the lives of the vast majority of Americans was by delivering mail.

That sounds wonderful. Except for the delivering the mail part.