The role of the state varied dramatically between the Gilded Age, Progressive Era, and New Deal. How and why did the relationship between citizens and the federal government change in these years?

The role of the state changed because political, economic, and social conditions changed, and especially, because people began to demand more social services from the state.

Explanation:

During the gilded era, the state was still small, and its functions in the field of taxation and spending were limited.

During the progressive era, the state became larger because the progressive intellectuals brought attention to the social imbalances that had been developed during the gilded era. The state began to tax more, spend more, gave women the right to vote, and improved the situation of workers.

The New Deal was an expansion of the state in a era characterized by economic difficulties. Franklin D. Roosevelt, following the advise of keynesian economics, implemented the New Deal with the goal of alleviating the poverty, unemployment, and economic depression that were hitting the country, through social programs.