The Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal Consumer Protection Upon reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, TR orders investigations TR supports legislation to ensure purity of food & drugs Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) Meat Inspection Act (1906)

Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal Regulating Business The “Trustbuster” The Sherman Antitrust Act: It prohibits certain business activities that federal government regulators deem to be anticompetitive been used to oppose the combination of businesses that could potentially harm competition, such as monopolies or cartels. TR used Justice Department to prosecute Railroad, meatpacking, and oil trusts

William Howard Taft: Reforms Contrary to popular belief, busts more trusts than TR Supported eight-hour workday and mine safety legislation Sixteenth Amendment  federal income tax Seventeenth Amendment  direct election of senators

William Howard Taft: Problems Not a great politician like TR Wanted to lower tariffs, while Congress raised them Progressives felt he backed down on this by not vetoing a tariff raising bill Republican Party spilt over protecting American business, while combating trusts

Woodrow Wilson: New Freedom Concentrated economic power threatened individual liberty Monopolies had to be broken up so the marketplace could truly be open

Woodrow Wilson: Financial Reforms Underwood Tariff Act lowers tariffs for the first times since the Civil War provides for graduated income tax/progressive tax Creates Federal Trade Commission to investigate businesses Federal Reserve System National Banking System (12 banks) Provided for fair interest rates Money no longer would depend on gold supply Income level Tax rate up to $20,000 1% $20,000 - $50,000 2% $50,000 - $75,000 3% $75,000 - $100,000 4% $100,000 - $250,000 5% $250,000 - $500,000 6% over $500,000 7%

Bye-Bye Progressives End of the Progressive Era World War I causes US to focus on war effort and not social change