Lots of federal agencies create mascots, from the iconic (like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Smokey Bear") to the ironic (like the Environmental Protection Agency's "Thirstin'"). The Federal Agency Mascot Project aims to reveal the histories behind these colorful characters and to explore why agencies find them to be such an irresistible use of the public's funds. [Pictured: "Franklin the Fair Housing Fox", mascot of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)]

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