Wilson and New Freedom
Mr. Williams
10th Grade U.S. History
A Different President
Taft had no experience in elective
office and no feel for politics
Believed that it was up to the courts,
not the president, to arbitrate social
issues
Did set up Department of Labor and
the Children’s Bureau
 “Taft is utterly hopeless as a leader”
Election of 1912
Roosevelt: New Nationalism
Laws to protect workers,
ensure public health, and
regulate business
Joins the Progressive “Bull
Moose” Party
Increase in the power of
federal government
Decrease in the Power of
the courts
Active role as President
Split in the Republican vote
between Roosevelt and Taft
Democrat Woodrow Wilson
received 435 electoral votes
Roosevelt-88, Taft-8
Wilson: New Freedom
Anti-trust legislation to get
rid of big corporations
Give small businesses and
famers better opportunities
in the marketplace
Woodrow Wilson
Fought political machines
Approved a law permitting
direct primaries
Enacted a program to
compensate injured
workers
Tariff Reduction
Underwood Tariff Act:
Lowest levels for the tariff in
more than 50 years
Also called for an income tax
based on income levels
16th Amendment
Provided a modest graduated
income tax
Granted Congress the power to
levy taxes based on an individual’s
income to pay for government
programs more fairly
Banking Reform
Federal Reserve Act 1913
Created a central fund from
which banks could borrow to
prevent collapse during
financial crisis
Sets the nation’s interest rates
12 Regional Banks, privately
controlled but regulated and
supervised by Federal Reserve
Board and the President
Provided larger government
control over banking than ever
before
Anti Trust Legislation
Clayton Antitrust Act 1914
Prohibited companies from buying
the stock of competing companies in
order to form a monopoly
Strikes, boycotts, peaceful picketing
st
are made legal at the end of 1 Term
helped to establish 8 hour work day
for Railroad Workers
Federal Trade Commission
Created in 1913
Investigatory powers and
authority to prosecute
corporations for “unfair trade
practices”