American History

Answer to Question 1 (Factors)
After the Civil War, the United States remained firmly divided. The Reconstruction placed Southern whites in a position of control over the black population. Successive waves of European migrants provided cheap labor in urban and manufacturing areas. Most of the migrants came from Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Poland, and Germany. The country also experienced long-term population booms which led to the industrialization and urbanization of semi-undeveloped areas.

The United States was also beginning to make colonial leaps in the Orient, establishing formal trade relations with Japan and China. Along with its colonial ventures, the United States experienced long-term industrial growth. The country had essentially become a leading economic power.

During the so-called progressive era, the United States acquired Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines from Spain (Spanish-American War). The countrys entry into the First World War was nothing short of dramatic. It was a testament of the military and economic strength of the nation.

Responding to these changes, the political system shifted from a multipolar to a bipolar party system. There was an increasing tendency for the polarization of the party system. This was not without basis. Changes in the economic, political, and social realms had associated risks. A two-party system would address these issues more efficiently than a multi-party system (the political change though was never institutionalized). The polarization tendency would hasten the creation of a formal regulation system (regulatory commissions) and improve the federal governments involvement in fiscal issues. Regulations in immigration, food security, drug trafficking, and anti-trust actions were noticeable. In the past, multiple political parties failed to deliver the political goods because of political discontinuity and dissension.

Answer to Question 2 (Weak State)
The Weak State theory holds that religious, ethnic, and social tensions may limit the ability of the state to deliver political values (creation of a weak state). In its conception, the United States was relatively a weak state. State authority was loosely divided between the federal government and the state government. However, political parties saw the need to strengthen federal authority for four general reasons 1) a loosely divided government was always subject to political and demographic tensions 2) uncontrolled migration would weaken the bond of the individual to the state (aggregate) 3) there was a need to strengthen the bond of the union (deinstitutionalizing secession) and 4) the role of the government superseded that of the individual or a group.

Progressivism can be roughly defined as increasing participation of a government in the affairs of the state. In the United States, the Progressive Era was the start of the growth in the role of the government. The American people saw the beginnings of federal regulation of business through regulatory commissions and antitrust laws. This era was also the beginning of things which were not associated with the progressive era. Population centers were zoned, properties defined, and state power dramatically increased.

The Republican Party was split into two moderate camps those who oppose regulation, and those who supported strict legislation. President Theodore Roosevelt was supportive of strict legislation, partly because he wanted to limit the power of corporations. He was keen on increasing the grip of the federal government on trade and foreign relations. After the Spanish-American War, the federal government extended its authority on military recruitment.

This was reinforced with the countrys entry into the First World War. The centralization of decision-making in the hands of the federal government (building military complexes, drafting of men, and restricting individual action) served to increase the role of government in society. In short, the progressive era ended the weak state status accorded to the United States.