General Services Administration

General Services Administration (GSA), executive agency of the U.S. federal government that manages equipment and property. Established in 1949, the GSA is responsible for purchasing and distributing supplies to government agencies and maintaining supplies of critical materials. It also oversees the construction of government buildings and maintains the computer and communications systems used by the federal government. It was rocked by scandal in 1978 when an investigation uncovered bribery, theft, and wasteful management; new rules and procedures were later put into place to prevent such abuses.