The role of the federal government in the lives of the American people changed dramatically from the time of the country's founding to the present. Initially, the federal government maintained a limited presence in the daily lives of most people. Often, state and local governments were far more prominent and exercised greater autonomy then exercised today. As time progressed, the role and influence of the federal government became more prominent. Examples of expansion in federal authority are evident in events surrounding the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Progressive Era, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights Era.

-Identify and describe 2 examples of U.S. federal government expansion of authority between the beginning of the U.S. Civil War and the end of the Civil Rights Era.

-These examples must be placed in the context political economic and social developments in the United States.