Introduction- Over the course of the United States' history, the power of the federal government has varied with different presidencies, but has gradually increased over the long-term. One particular time in which the growth of federal power can be seen was the period that went from the beginning of World War II to near the end of the Cold War. In this time, the creations of certain laws and agencies that gave more responsibility to the government were often necessary or in the nation's best interests.
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Domestic Events during World War II- In the events during and surrounding World War II, the government had to make certain laws and agencies in order to support the war and to keep the domestic sit
uation organized. One decision that was made was to recruit soldiers to fight in the war with a draft. In 1940, President Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act. Men from all states had to register with the federal government so that they would be available to join the armed services. This was the first peacetime military draft in American history; the war had not truly started when this law was passed, but it seemed certain that America would be involved when it happened. When war came, the federal government also created and made use of agencies like the Office of Price Administration (OPA) and the War Productions
Board(WPB). Both these agencies greatly expanded federal power. The OPA, created in 1941, was used to control the prices of goods and it required rationing, which limited how these goods were used. Although it basically stopped the free market for a time, by controlling the trade and use of potential military resources the government made sure that everything needed to support the war was available. At home, citizens went without many staples they were accustomed to, such as sugar and fuel.
The War Productions Board decided whether companies would convert from peacetime to wartime productions. This means that if the WPB gave the order, the company that received it would have to stop what they they working on and make something that could be used to help in the war, such as weapons and vehicles. For example, automobile production decreased while military vehicle production increased.
Another instance that showed the governments growing power over people was the relocation of Japanese Americans into internment camps. There was no real reason for this action other than fear because of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The majority of the people who were relocated were citizens of the United States. Neither these people nor the states they lived in were given any choice in the matter.
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The Cold War- Similar to in WW II, during the Cold War the expansion of federal power was achieved by establishing agencies such as the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Unlike the previous war, however, the goal of this agency was not to support a war time effort in production or availability of resources, but was to stem the infiltration of communism in the United States.
The Cold War caused a fear of communism within the United States that seemed to extend into the government. America decided on a policy known as containment, meaning it wanted to stop the worldwide spread of communism. HUAC, which was created in 1938 to investigate domestic Nazi and Ku Klux Klan activities, was made permanent as a powerful organization that searched for the influence of communism in America during the Cold War. Domestic anticommunism became popular, and some people, such as Senator McCarthy used it to their advantage. Many people were unfairly accused as people who wanted power took advantage of the country's fear and paranoia. Civil liberties were restricted and violated as accusers blacklisted the accused without proof and created a threatening environment for any who disagreed with them. Once put on a blacklist, the suspected person was guilty until proven innocent and would find himself without friends or employment. This was not only
the expansion of federal power by the creation of a new agency, but also the expansion of the use of power within that agency to the point of abuse .
This caused such divisiveness in the United States that our own citizens were accused of espionage. Among these citizens were Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, who were convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and executed. There is still controversy over whether or not the Rosenbergs were guilty of betraying their country.
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Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon- Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon all had their own thoughts on the amount of power that should be given to the federal government. Generally, it seemed that Johnson and Kennedy agreed. Both wished to increase the government's responsibility, and Johnson passed some of the laws that Kennedy was unable to get to congress. Their ideas were the foundations of the "Great Society" plan of Johnson's term as president. However, Nixon did not agree with this plan. He believed that this plan gave to much responsibility to the federal government, and so he wanted to distribute some powers to state and local governments.
Each of these presidents did at least one major thing that demonstrated the increasing power of the federal government. Specifically, they often used their powers to escalate the conflicts in and surrounding Vietnam. Kennedy, for example, greatly increased the number of troops in Vietnam with a type of draft, forcing selected people to join the military and fight in the war. Johnson increased this draft, further escalating the war, and Nixon used his office to carry out and cover up an invasion of Cambodia, without first having the approval of the rest of the government. This type of behavior by Nixon gave him a reputation of having an "imperial presidency."
Another issue in which all three were involved was the
civil rights movement at the time. Both Johnson and Kennedy passed laws to eliminate most forms of segregation as well as discrimination in voting (the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965). This was a major focus of Johnson's "Great Society," a plan which was meant to improve the domestic situation of the country. Another of its focuses was a "War on Poverty," central to which was the Office of Economic Opportunity, assisting the welfare of the nation's poor.
Nixon tried to undo these actions however, doing what he could to take apart this office and others created by the Great Society program. In some cases, he did not completely get rid of Johnson's creations, but instead dismantled them and gave certain powers they had to other parts of the government. This plan of Nixon's was known as "New Federalism." He also opposed civil rights, in what may have been an attempt to win the support of southern voters. Although Nixon wanted to decrease federal power in some ways, he increased it greatly in other ways. Nixon instituted the Wage and Price Control Act of 1971 that tried to control the economy, particularly the amount of inflation. Unfortunately, this did not go as Nixon had planned and caused the country to go into a recession.
Conclusion- Many of the laws and decisions that the government has made since World War 2 have increased the power of the federal government. Some of these were made because certain people within within the government craved power. Others were made simply because it was the best thing to do for the country. Still, even choices made with good intentions, such as those regarding Civil Rights, no matter how helpful and successful the results, often showed examples of how the beliefs and decisions of the federal government can overpower those of the states and people.
