During [World War I] we necessarily turned to the government to solve every difficult economic problem. The government having absorbed every energy of our people for war, there was no other solution. For the preservation of the state the Federal Government became a centralized despotism which undertook unprecedented responsibilities, assumed autocratic powers, and took over the business of citizens. To a large degree, we regimented our whole people temporally into a socialistic state. However justified in war time, if continued in peace-time it would destroy not only our American system but with it our progress and freedom as well.

Question

We were challenged with a... choice between the American system of rugged individualism and a European philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines ­ doctrines of paternalism and state socialism. The acceptance of these ideas would have meant the destruction of self-government through centralization... [and] the undermining of the individual initiative and enterprise through which our people have grown to unparalleled greatness.

What were the primary changes in the role of the government during World War 1 as described in the text?

Answer 1

The text outlines several primary changes in the role of the government during World War I:

1. Centralization of Power: The Federal Government assumed unprecedented responsibilities and powers, functioning as a centralized authority that took control over various aspects of life and the economy.

2. Absorption of Resources: The government actively absorbed the energies and resources of the populace to support the war effort, suggesting a shift from a more hands-off approach to an active role in mobilizing the economy and society for wartime needs.

3. Regimentation of Society: There was an almost complete regimentation of the population into a socialistic state for the duration of the war, indicating a move toward collective organization and management of society by the government.

4. Autocratic Powers: The government assumed autocratic powers to address the economic difficulties presented by the war, suggesting a reduction in civil liberties or individual autonomy in favor of the state’s demands.

5. Paternalism and State Socialism: The text implies a philosophical shift towards doctrines such as paternalism and state socialism, contrasting these European ideas with the American tradition of rugged individualism.

The text ultimately expresses concern that if these changes were maintained in peacetime, they could threaten the American system, individual initiative, and freedoms that contributed to the nation’s greatness.