According to The Americans by Danzer:
Laissez Faire is a policy that allows the nation’s economy to operate with little or no interference from the government
Progressivism is the term applied to the government’s responses to the economic and social problems that rapid industrialization and urbanization introduced to America
The presidents of the different eras had very little in common.
A common theme of the Progressive Presidents was to protect the people from abusive businesses.
A common theme of the Conservative Presidents was allowing the large businesses to grow and prosper, while leaving the people to support themselves.
Presidents of the Progressive Era: Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson
“A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
Laissez Faire is a policy that allows the nation’s economy to operate with little or no interference from the government
Progressivism is the term applied to the government’s responses to the economic and social problems that rapid industrialization and urbanization introduced to America
The presidents of the different eras had very little in common.
A common theme of the Progressive Presidents was to protect the people from abusive businesses.
A common theme of the Conservative Presidents was allowing the large businesses to grow and prosper, while leaving the people to support themselves.
Presidents of the Progressive Era: Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson
“A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt and Taft were Progressive Republicans. Although Wilson was a Democrat, he believed in the same economic policies as his republican predecessors.
To protect the workers, consumers, and environment from large corporations abusing their enormous power:
Presidents of the Roaring Twenties or “Laissez Faire” Era: Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover
“The chief business of the American people is business. If government kept its hands off the economy, business would prosper.”
-Calvin Coolidge
To protect the workers, consumers, and environment from large corporations abusing their enormous power:
- The government set regulations such as minimum wage and safety standards
- Established the FDA and passed the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act
- Doubled the number of national parks and created 150 national forests
Presidents of the Roaring Twenties or “Laissez Faire” Era: Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover
“The chief business of the American people is business. If government kept its hands off the economy, business would prosper.”
-Calvin Coolidge
All three presidents of this era were Conservative Republicans.
In order to allow big businesses to grow freely after an era of high restrictions the government:
The conservative presidents believed in Rugged Individualism. Rugged Individualism is the idea that people should succeed through their own efforts and that they should take care of themselves and their families, rather than depend on the government for assistance in tough times. (Danzer)
"I do not believe that the power and duty of the government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering.... The lesson should be constantly enforced that although the people support the government, the government should not support the people" --Hoover, 1930 (Danzer)
As a result, lower class farmers suffered during the 1920s due to their lack of support from the government. This led to the enormous income gap between the wealthy and the poor. Also, the Great Depression durated longer and was more severe because Hoover followed his philosophy of laissez faire and did not take action to help the economy improve.
In order to allow big businesses to grow freely after an era of high restrictions the government:
- Followed the philosophy of laissez faire by stepping back from the economy
- Did not set restrictions on businesses and allowed them to grow and prosper
- Supported growth of the wealthy but ignored struggle of the middle and lower class
The conservative presidents believed in Rugged Individualism. Rugged Individualism is the idea that people should succeed through their own efforts and that they should take care of themselves and their families, rather than depend on the government for assistance in tough times. (Danzer)
"I do not believe that the power and duty of the government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering.... The lesson should be constantly enforced that although the people support the government, the government should not support the people" --Hoover, 1930 (Danzer)
As a result, lower class farmers suffered during the 1920s due to their lack of support from the government. This led to the enormous income gap between the wealthy and the poor. Also, the Great Depression durated longer and was more severe because Hoover followed his philosophy of laissez faire and did not take action to help the economy improve.