What are some of the major and social and political changes in the United States since its founding?

[San David]

10 points for the best answer.

[Theodore]

1. The abolishing of slavery and the enfranchisement of minority groups within the political structure of the United States, which undermined the earlier domination of a single ethnic group over the entire body politic. This was a long term development that began in 1865 and has continued till today (and perhaps is still going on).
2. The Civil War and the strengthening of the central government over the state by deciding that it could intervene in the matters of states on pertinent issues. The growth of the central government at the cost of state power has been the end result of this change.
3. The industrial revolution and the bringing about of capitalism. Forever shaped American socio-economic structure.
4. Expansion of the United States "from sea to sea". This has resulted in a vast open amount of free land that has been used to create independent farmers which in turn helped promote political economic freedom that has not been seen in many countries where such free territory was possible. It eventually also pushed America into global dominance by allowing it to expand its industrial potential unlike nobody else in the world.
5. The advent of WWI and WWII. The first WW left America as an unwilling global power at the expense of the increasingly weakened European states. The Second World War left America with the largest GDP in the world (holding 50% of the world's wealth or capital) which led to the cultural, economic and political empire that we associate with the United States today.
6. The advent of the Cold War. Established what the Founding Fathers (chiefly Washington) feared: a standing army. The standing army has since turned into what Eisenhower termed "the military industrial complex" that has grown out of proportion with other spending since. This matched has also been matched by the increase of power of the Head of State (the President), turning it into what would later be called "the Imperial Presidency". The Cold War also made America replace the traditional great powers (European states) as the colonial entity, resulting in a number of post-colonial conflicts (in Korea, Vietnam and in other areas in South America and Middle East). This has undermined the power of the various other chambers of government, with increasing power in the hands of a single head of state (now also a military leader). The Cold War also became an ideological battleground, creating certain equivocations that have lingered since --> America = Capitalist.
7. End of the Cold War: America is left as the sole Super Power in the world and results in various ideologies around it. The concept of the uniqueness of the United States become somewhat ideological entrenched. This leads to Bush and Clinton doctrines of US Supremacy or US Humanitarian War.
8. Decline of labor in the later 20th century. This has meant the rise of power interest groups that have since undermined the small democratic hold that common people had upon government. Since then we have seen an ever increasing vast flow of private spending by big corporations and wealthy capitalists into the presidential campaigns, effectively turning the president and other chambers of government (Congress and the courts) into tools for free market reform. This has meant the end of progressive taxation and the rise the super wealthy.
9. Decline of American industrialism. Following in line with 8, we have seen the end of the industrial potential of the United States and instead we have seen the rise of highly specialized financial and banking groups that have bigger and bigger grips on government. This has had huge effects on how the US has spent and also has market the death of blue collar America and increasingly the death of the Middle Class. Now, with increasing privatization, we are seeing the end of cheap education at a time when America needs more and more specialized, highly-trained and educated workers. The result has been a sharp difference in wages between college and non-college trained workers (those who once worked in the industrial sector). The death of industry has especially hurt the minority communities since it has meant the flight of capital from their neighborhoods, ending any savings and investment possibilities.
10. The War on Terror: the beginning of a new era of permanent war with a global enemy. The change of warfare from state structures to non-state entities.

This is certainly not all... but I'm running out of time.

[helpme]

1. The abolishing of slavery and the enfranchisement of minority groups within the political structure of the United States, which undermined the earlier domination of a single ethnic group over the entire body politic. This was a long term development that began in 1865 and has continued till today (and perhaps is still going on).
2. The Civil War and the strengthening of the central government over the state by deciding that it could intervene in the matters of states on pertinent issues. The growth of the central government at the cost of state power has been the end result of this change.
3. The industrial revolution and the bringing about of capitalism. Forever shaped American socio-economic structure.
4. Expansion of the United States "from sea to sea". This has resulted in a vast open amount of free land that has been used to create independent farmers which in turn helped promote political economic freedom that has not been seen in many countries where such free territory was possible. It eventually also pushed America into global dominance by allowing it to expand its industrial potential unlike nobody else in the world.
5. The advent of WWI and WWII. The first WW left America as an unwilling global power at the expense of the increasingly weakened European states. The Second World War left America with the largest GDP in the world (holding 50% of the world's wealth or capital) which led to the cultural, economic and political empire that we associate with the United States today.
6. The advent of the Cold War. Established what the Founding Fathers (chiefly Washington) feared: a standing army. The standing army has since turned into what Eisenhower termed "the military industrial complex" that has grown out of proportion with other spending since. This matched has also been matched by the increase of power of the Head of State (the President), turning it into what would later be called "the Imperial Presidency". The Cold War also made America replace the traditional great powers (European states) as the colonial entity, resulting in a number of post-colonial conflicts (in Korea, Vietnam and in other areas in South America and Middle East). This has undermined the power of the various other chambers of government, with increasing power in the hands of a single head of state (now also a military leader). The Cold War also became an ideological battleground, creating certain equivocations that have lingered since --> America = Capitalist.
7. End of the Cold War: America is left as the sole Super Power in the world and results in various ideologies around it. The concept of the uniqueness of the United States become somewhat ideological entrenched. This leads to Bush and Clinton doctrines of US Supremacy or US Humanitarian War.
8. Decline of labor in the later 20th century. This has meant the rise of power interest groups that have since undermined the small democratic hold that common people had upon government. Since then we have seen an ever increasing vast flow of private spending by big corporations and wealthy capitalists into the presidential campaigns, effectively turning the president and other chambers of government (Congress and the courts) into tools for free market reform. This has meant the end of progressive taxation and the rise the super wealthy.
9. Decline of American industrialism. Following in line with 8, we have seen the end of the industrial potential of the United States and instead we have seen the rise of highly specialized financial and banking groups that have bigger and bigger grips on government. This has had huge effects on how the US has spent and also has market the death of blue collar America and increasingly the death of the Middle Class. Now, with increasing privatization, we are seeing the end of cheap education at a time when America needs more and more specialized, highly-trained and educated workers. The result has been a sharp difference in wages between college and non-college trained workers (those who once worked in the industrial sector). The death of industry has especially hurt the minority communities since it has meant the flight of capital from their neighborhoods, ending any savings and investment possibilities.
10. The War on Terror: the beginning of a new era of permanent war with a global enemy. The change of warfare from state structures to non-state entities.