First, they wanted to stay out, then they started to help England and France, and finally when Japan attacked they totally got involved.
Due to the colonist and such leaving from a tyrant ruled nation. They wanted to make sure the same wouldn't happen over here, therefor they gave the President power. However it would go through some people and such. For example President Trump signed a bill, the travel ban. Yet in around 1 to 2 days, the Judicial Branch found it unconstitutional. Therefor it was overturned and disbanded.
Before the gold rush the west was wild and there were very few people around. The big cities in California were shires with a few hundred citizens
