Discuss the view that American urban government was more corrupt but Essay

Discuss the view that American urban government was more corrupt but more democratic than its British equivalent in the late nineteenth century - Essay Example Apart from these considerations, questions of class, race and gender, through topics such as the roles of women, the impact of slavery and the experience of immigration, are dealt with. Before delving any further into the differences that marked the individual approaches of urban governance for these two nations, it would be imperative to indulge in a minor ‘scene setting’ exercise. Besides sharing obvious similarities in terms of language, a liberal and cultural heritage, and a democratic political system, Britain and the United States have also had pronounced differences, for their economic, political, and social structures have developed in distinctive ways. If we were to compare and contrast the historical course of the two countries and explore the significance of their similarities and differences over a period of two centuries, we would come up with wide ranging and up-to-date analyses of such issues as industrialization and urbanization, democracy and politics, class and gender, and citizenship and welfare. That brings us straight to the topic at hand: In the late nineteenth century, was American urban government more corrupt, yet more democrat ic than that of its British counterpart? To understand the relevance of the question and its subsequent answer, one would need to consider the social structure of the two countries and justify the description of Britain as a class and America as a status society since the 1870s. This prompts us to explore the responses of the two countries to social problems and, in particular the reasons following which the two countries took such different responses to the question of welfare. Finally, by considering the relationship between welfare, industrialization, democracy, class conflict, social control and ideological change in the two countries, the purpose of historical enquiry and explanation will be reached. A