Essay About Document C And Ideas Of Limited Government

Gilded Age
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The politics of the Gilded Age failed to deal with the critical social and economical
issues of the times. It was the era filled with forgotten presidents and politicians who
ignored the problems erupting in the cites. Monopolies ruled over all the aspects of life
(Document C), and the greedy men who ruled these monopolies caused poverty
throughout the nation. The ideas of limited government caused the political parties to not
take a stand on important issues. The politcal parties did not seem to be worried about the
suffering of the people, they simply ignored the issues except for issues on tarriffs.
(Document H) Although the time period brought about many new materialistic inventions,
no new social inventions were being brought about. (Document B). One problem with
bringing about so many new inventions, it didnt require anyone to be “good” at
something. All the person had to do was sit at a machine and work, you didnt need a trade
for anything working in a factory.(Document F)
After Reconstruction the government policy changed to more of a laissez-faire
system. In such a system, the government takes a “hands-off” approach.(Document A)
Supporters of the theory claim that if the government does not interfere, the strongest
business will succeed and, as a whole, make the nation wealthier; a sort of Social
Darwinism. However, many people supported government intervention that was beneficial
to the nation such as high tariffs and subsidies. During the 1870s, many American farmers
began to resent the stranglehold the railroads exerted over many parts of the country.
However, the postwar presidents and many in Congress resisted intervention into
economic