The Post-Civil War Era

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Paper Topic-The Post-Civil War Era (April 12th, 1861 – May 9th, 1865)
1. Please discuss major trends in federal budgetary policy in the decades following the Civil War.
One of the most significant trends in budgetary policy following the Civil War was the dramatic increase of US tariffs that carried over from the Civil War throughout the remainder of the century. The cumulative magnitude of the tariffs in place 30 years after the end of the Civil War was actually greater than when the Civil War ended. The only time duties were decreased was in 1872 but this decision was actually reversed in 1875. Four major tariffs would end up being passed before 1900 which would make the overall level of protection on various domestic commodities higher …show more content…
In what ways did the federal government seek to return to the way things were before the War?
The most blatant way the federal government sought to return things to the way they were before the war was to get the National debt back down. Indeed, records show that the national debt was nearly nonexistent before the Civil War but peaked at the time the Civil War ended. Looking at the decades following the Civil War, there is a striking downward trend of the national deficient up until 1910. This decrease in national debt can be attributed to the many revenue-generating programs put in place by the government around this time. A second obvious goal of the federal government after the Civil War was to make the United States "united" again. This mentality led to the enactment of laws that showed people in Confederate states mercy and encouraged their integration back into the US in a merciful manner. When Lincoln was asked what to do with the defeated rebel armies, he responded that he wanted them taken back to their homes at work on their farms and shops [6]. When Andrew Johnson took office in April 1865, following Lincoln's assassination, he passed several policies which included providing amnesty for many ex-rebels and former Confederates in exchange for an oath swearing loyalty to the United States …show more content…
In what ways did the War continue have an impact upon federal budgetary policy?
Civil War veterans were the first interest group to leverage political power to obtain monetary benefits from the government. Seeing the monetary benefits paid out to veterans, other interest groups also began seeking benefits from the federal government after the Civil War, although they were often pursuing regulatory benefits instead of monetary rewards. Because of the precedent set by the veterans, the Civil War is viewed as a catalyst for the transformation of the American government in which it experience significant growth through the 1900s [3]. Programs like the one the Civil War veterans created, once started, are difficult to slow.Whether through railroad regulation, antitrust laws, or postal subsidies, the period between the Civil War and World War 1 saw many groups appeal to the federal government for economic benefits, and the creation of a permanent civil service during this period helped those interests by creating a permanent bureaucracy with an interest in expanding its own powers. For example, the increase in payments to veterans is considered a driving force behind the increased payments that retirees received through Social Security and Medicare in the late 20th century
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