Changes in the American Federal Government from 1876 to the New Deal

On many occasions since the end of Reconstruction, the American political system has demonstrated its king to adapt to changing domestic and foreign policy requirements, often by extending the bowl over of its power. An examination of the actions of the federal judicature during three periods (the Progressive Era, human War I, and the New Deal) reveals some of the sorefound functions and responsibilities that the federal governing assumed. In the years at a time following Reconstruction, perplexity was necessarily focused on domestic matters.A shift from an agrarian economy to an industrial one created new sets of needs and expectations for the American population. Progressive era reformers, notably Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Wilson, responded to these needs by calling for reform breaking-up monopolies addressing corruption enacting laws to protect women, children, and the large immigrant population overseeing solid food and drug safety and establishing ordinances f or sanitation and hygiene.These reforms often required the government of new governmental institutions (for example, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Labor ). legion(predicate) of these institutions are still in operation today. Beginning with the United States occasion in World War I, attention was redirected to foreign matters. Americans became increasingly pertain in world affairs, not only through their involvement in the war efforts but also through the expansion of imperialist endeavors.Though these campaigns had begun earlier, they speedily increased following the acquisition of Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico in 1898. These actions extended the reach of the federal government to overseas territories. With the Great Depression, attention once once again necessarily shifted to domestic matters. In order to alleviate the effects of the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt instituted huge changes referred to collectively as the New Deal.These polic ies included massive relief efforts for the employed, the establishment of a minimum wage, the creation of Social Security, and the expansion of federal regulation of agriculture, industry, finance, and labor relations. One major result of FDRs administration was the government gained the legal power to regulate the economy. During much of his administration, FDR kept the federal governments focus on domestic matters as he seek to enact neutrality legislation to keep America out of the war in Europe.vi It is significant that in times of economic crisis (such as those that directly preceded the Progressive era reforms and the New Deal), the federal government of this country turns its attention to combating corruption, regulating the economy, instituting public works projects, and enacting legislation that directly affects the lives of American citizens. In so doing, Wilson and F. D. Roosevelt focused their attentions primarily on domestic policy at the expensive of foreign policy.