Reform and Regulation: American Politics from Roosevelt to Wilson
At the turn of the century, the Republicans moved toward acceptance of the regulatory state. By 1912 the Democrats successfully challenged them over issues that anticipated the battles of the New Deal, but the subsequent world war and inept Democratic leadership led the Republicans back into power in 1921. In this volume, Gould effectively analyzes the period 1900-1921, when institutions such as the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Federal Reserve System were founded, and provides readers with an understanding of the reasons why Americans and their leaders believed that regulation and reform were necessary. Spanning the presidencies of Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, Gould's even-handed approach traces the events encompassing the Progressive Era in a readable, involving style.