The Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt Despite being a conservative, Teddy used the power of the presidency to deal directly with social and economic problems Presidency had any power not specifically denied in the Constitution

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” TR was not against trusts; he believed there were good ones and bad ones Uses Justice Department to prosecute Railroad, meatpacking, and oil trusts Encouraged companies that wanted to merge to work with the government

Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal Labor Conditions Investigated coal mines in Pennsylvania when company refused to go to arbitration with striking workers Threatened to re-open mines using federal troops This forced management to go to arbitration TR wants a square deal  fair for everyone: management, labor, consumers

Theodore Roosevelt: The Square Deal Conservation “We are prone to think of the resources of this country as inexhaustible; this is not so.” Protected nations environment and wilderness Purchased parkland, forests, monuments and wildlife refuges Triples the amount of public land

William Howard Taft Hand picked successor of TR (Teddy kept GW’s precedent of two-terms)

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

Election of 1912 Election of 1912 TR upset that Taft allows business men to buy public land in Alaska Decides to run against Taft as a member of “Bull Moose Party”

Woodrow Wilson Republicans split vote and democrat Woodrow Wilson wins presidency

Woodrow Wilson: New Freedom Concentrated economic power threatened individual liberty Monopolies had to be broken up so the marketplace could truly be open “Without …interference of the government…there can be no fair play between individuals and such powerful institutions as the trust.”

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%

Woodrow Wilson

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