It is 1974. President Ford has named you to chair a task force to study
ways to reduce the size of the federal government, and he wants you to
prepare a report that examines why government has taken on so many
responsibilities. In particular, Nixon wants you to examine how
different economic and social challenges have caused the federal
government to assume new roles in caring for Americans. To do this, you
need to discuss the following:
1. Examine why the rise of Big Business created problems for smaller
businesses and consumers [with examples] (6 points) and then explain
the ways in which Progressives used the federal
government to help fix these problems (6 points).
2. Describe why FD Roosevelt felt the government had to take on more
responsibilities to protect Americans grew during the Great Depression
(2 points). Then use the Banking Act of 1933, the Social Security Act
and the Fair Labor Standards Act to show how government worked to
provide Americans with more economic security (9 points).
3. Examine how post-World War II economic concerns caused the
responsibilities and size of federal government to grow beginning in
1944 to 1964 (4 points). Then examine how and why America’s role in
foreign affairs grew during the 1950s and show how this led to further
growth in the government (6 points)
4. Describe how the Great Society, and civil rights and women’s rights
legislation caused the responsibilities and size of federal government
to permanently grow in the 1960s and 1970s (16 points).