Which act established the draft for military service during WWI?

• A. War Powers Act
• B. Draft Act
• C. Selective Service Act
• D. Espionage Act

Answer: (C)

Mobilizing a large army quickly in World War I required a system of compulsory service. Congress passed the Selective Service Act in 1917, creating the national draft and the Selective Service System. It required men of certain ages to register and gave the government the power to call them into military service, with draft boards handling exemptions and lotteries to determine who would serve. This transformed a small volunteer force into a mass army ready for overseas combat. The other acts address different issues: the War Powers Act limits presidential authority during wartime, the Espionage Act targets spying and interference with the war effort, and there isn’t an official law simply titled “Draft Act” for WWI—the action that established the draft was the Selective Service Act.