Good Essay On The Federalist Program And Great Reforms

Since its establishment, governments are expected to maintain the prosperity of the nation and ensure that it would not succumb to financial debt or instability. If the country does accumulate debt or succumb to instability in any way – may it be due to war or calamity – it is expected that the government would have a plan to remove such problems to reduce the risk of total paralysis. For centuries, governments have tried its best to ensure that their nations do not fall into disarray, but the cause of each change and the consequences of government action varies consistently. Considering this sentiment, it is a question if there is a specific reason why major changes in countries like the United States and Russia have similarities and if their actions tantamount to regression or progress. The onset of the application of the Federalist Program and the Great Reforms was triggered by the consequences of two major wars; however, the changes brought by these two programs instigated two different scenarios as the American government tried to corrupt the public into accepting a social hierarchy that restricts rights, while the Russian Empire returned the rights of the people to build society.
The call for change in both the US and Russia in the 17th and 18th century was caused by the impacts brought by the Revolutionary War of 1763 and the Crimean War of 1853. In the case of the US, the country had accumulated a national debt amounting to $79 million and domestic debt amounting to $42 million and $25 by both the federal and state government respectively due to the War . In the side of the Russian Empire, the Crimean War emphasized the weakness of the Russian Empire’s military and the failure of the serfdom in retaining sustainability. In response to these critical issues, the American government – through the proposal of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton - and the Russian Empire –under Tsar Alexander II – were applied. For the America, the Federalist Program was designed to reconstruct the financial structure of America and boost industries that can generate revenue such as manufacturing. While the financial burdens of the country had indeed strengthened under the Program, the Federalist been “corrupting” American society to the extent only a certain group of individuals would influence the government and its industries in order for the people to trust the Federal government rather than the State governments. This only triggered further opposition and conflict in the region especially when it came to the divide between both the Confederacy and the Republic . On the other hand; the Great Reforms used peaceful programs that would push for change but not force it. The reform emancipated serfs and allowed them to control their economic activity. While regulations on communal landowning remained the same, the fact serfs now have equal ground in the Empire and become involved in political affairs has drastically improved Russian society.
Change is constant and that has always been true when history is involved. Change can either be for the good or for the bad, depending on how individuals shape such history. In the case of the US and Russia, both countries had to engage into change due to the consequences brought by war. While both nations applied programs to instigate change, the Americans continued to remain at war due to the underlying principles of the Federalist Program. Although economic reform is secured, the Program restricted those who can become involved and disregarded the liberties of other Americans and settlers. In the case of the Great Reforms, it opened new opportunities for freed Russian serfs to become involved in the society, something that prevented Russia from realizing in the first place why they were unable to hold their ground easily.