The aftermath of World War I marked the beginning of this change process for public administration.
At the conclusion of all previous wars, the U.S. government had quickly returned to basic minimal levels. However, this time the scope and influence of government in U.S. life would not diminish. The
United States was changing from a rural agricultural society to an urban industrial nation. This required
a considerable response from public administration because so many new functions and programs
would be established. The number of paved highways would increase tenfold in the 1920s. Cities would
install traffic management systems, and states would impose driving tests. As the population became
increasingly urban, vastly expanded programs would be needed in public parks and recreation, public
works, public health, and public safety. Public administration as an activity was booming throughout
the 1920s. The federal government’s response to the Great Depression of the 1930s would make public
administration all the more pervasive as part of American life.