The Committee on Department Methods, popularly known as the Keep Commission, was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. The Commission represented the first assertion by a President that the President is responsible for administration. The Keep Commission was formed to study and recommend improvements in the methods and organization of the federal government’s executive departments. The Keep Commission goal was to “place the conduct of the Government on the most economical and effective basis in the light of the best modern business practice.”

Significance:

• The commission focused on streamlining government operations, reducing inefficiencies, and enhancing administrative practices.
• Faced significant Congressional resistance
• Ultimately Congress adopted Roosevelt’s recommendations and created a pension system, a modern personnel classification scheme, the General Service Administration, and the National Archives