However, since the Great Depression, the United States has not followed other developed democracies in the establishment of a more comprehensive model for assuring its citizens' well being. One possible explanation for this is that the U.S was not affected in the same way by World War II as Europe was: while Europeans relied on strong centralized governments to help rebuild their economies after two world wars, the United States was enjoying a period of unprecedented economic growth due to its being one of the few industrialized countries on the planet whose productive capacity had not been destroyed by enemy nations. But now, with the rise of industrial and geo-political competition in Europe and Asia, growing income inequality, high energy prices, and mounting public debt, there is renewed debate over the role of government in modern society.