The Rise of the Federal Government's Power in American History

Today we are accustomed to a large, powerful federal government, but this was not always the case. When the nation was formed, the federal government was small, and it remained relatively small throughout the nineteenth century. Citizens voted to elect the president and their representatives, but the federal government's presence in their daily life was slight. Americans did not pay federal income taxes until 1913. For most citizens, the local Post Office was probably the most important contact they had with the federal government (the Constitution granted Congress the power to create Post Offices.)

The federal government's power grew steadily for most of the twentieth century. During the Progressive era of the early twentieth century, the federal government expanded greatly, as progressive reformers strove to cope with the many problems generated by America's rapid industrialization and urbanization. World War I resulted in further expansion of the government, which created several new agencies to help mobilize America's industries and propagandize the war effort.