Final answer:
George Washington established the Department of State, Department of the Treasury, and Department of War as the main three executive departments during his presidency, serving as the foundation for the executive branch.
Step-by-step explanation:
During President George Washington’s administration, the federal bureaucracy was comparatively small, but three principal executive departments were established to manage the new government’s essential functions. The first of these was the Department of State, responsible for managing international affairs and foreign policy. Secondly, the Department of the Treasury was created to oversee the nation’s finances, including the minting of currency. Lastly, the federal government formed the Department of War to supervise and administer the United States Armed Forces.
Not only did these departments serve as the foundation of the United States executive branch, but they also created a baseline for the vast expansion of the federal bureaucracy that would occur in the centuries to follow. Today, there are fifteen executive departments, with many additional agencies and subunits, but the aforementioned three departments laid the groundwork for all subsequent growth and development of the federal administrative apparatus.