Freedom
When it comes to the pursuit of freedom and ideals of democracy, progress since the Civil War can be seen in the establishment of a sufficiently capable Federal government, efficient judiciary and presidency systems with limited amount of executive power that can be wielded (Rosenbaum and Branch 29).
The division of power between Congress, the Senate, the Judiciary and the President ensures that no single branch of government has too much power. At the same time, this division ensures that the individuals in positions of power actually represent the interests of people.
Equality
One of the most obvious signs of progress when it comes to equality development in the U.S. can be seen in the case with laws aimed at non-discrimination of people from different races and ethnicities whether it comes to their civil rights or work place environments. While one of the outcomes of the Civil War was the abolishment of slavery, African Americans were still discriminated until the mid 1950s.
It was only after the Civil Rights Movement and the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. and other social rights activists that new non-discrimination practices were put into effect. That helped create a greater sense of equality within the U.S. for people of all races (Rosenbaum and Branch 29). It should be noted, though, that there still exists a certain level of class, race and gender discrimination within the country but these are addressed as well.
Aside from the implementation of laws aimed at non-discrimination for different races when it comes to employment, it should also be noted that another aspect of equality that has progressed since the Civil War pertains to the rights of women. Women at the present have the right to vote, work, and have lives that are generally independent not only from their families but from men in general (Rosenbaum and Branch 29)l.
This level of freedom was not available prior to the Civil War and even the years directly after it. Only through events such as the Civil Rights Movement as well as the rise of the Women’s Liberation Movement were women’s rights substantially increased to the point that, at least on paper, they are on par with that of men in American society (Zengerle 12).
Power
While American military might is one of the more obvious aspects of the progress the U.S. has made in terms of power, it is actually more accurate to state that it is the influence of the U.S. in relation to other members of the international community that is a better representation of American’s might now.
America’s impact on the global stage has significantly increased since the Civil War due to the dependence of the global economy on not only the American dollar, but also on the American economy in general, which acts as the world’s largest importer and retailer of goods and services (Zengerle 12).
As a result, when it comes to application of its foreign policy, the U.S. has positioned itself to be able to either dissuade certain states from committing certain actions or even convincing them to commit towards a particular directive due to how these states fear the economic and military capabilities of the U.S.
Conclusion
Based on what has been presented so far, it can be seen that the U.S. has progressed significantly since the Civil War when it comes to freedom, equality and power.
Works Cited
Rosenbaum, Ron, and Taylor Branch. “From Selma To Ferguson.” Smithsonian 45.9 (2015): 29. Print
Zengerle, Jason. “This Is How The Civil Rights Movement Ends.” New Republic 245.14 (2014): 12. Print