Chapter 32: The Politics of Boom and Bust 1920-1932

Question 1

1. In what ways were the 1920s a reaction against the progressive era?

Answer 1

Republicans reacted to progressive reform by trying to serve the public through cooperation with big business and less through direct government action. Government switched to a less interventionist role and left the country to the free market system. People were more concerned with themselves and less with the progressive methods of reform.

Question 2

Was the American isolationism of the 1920s linked to the rise of movements like the Ku Klux Klan? In what ways did movements like fundamentalism reflect similar anti-modern outlooks, and in what ways did they reflect more basic religious disagreements?

Answer 2

American isolationism was linked to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan operated on the fear of anyone who wasn’t a white American. They persecuted people from foreign nations and religions, much like isolationism was the cause of America distancing itself from other outside influences. Fundamentalism also reflected traditional religious beliefs. In an effort to maintain the old ways, fundamentalists resisted modern movements that contrasted with their beliefs. For example, fundamentalists disapproved of the new sex culture of the 20s. This was both a reflection of anti-modernism and basic religious disagreements.

Question 3

3. To what extent did the policies of the booming 1920s contribute to the depression? Was the depression inevitable, or could it have been avoided? Why or why not?

Answer 3

In the 1920s, prosperity seemed never-ending. America was experiencing mass production, in part because of the movies, radio, and automobile industry. Unfortunately, the depression was inevitable because of the mass levels of production going on. No one saw the crash of October 29th coming. President Hoover’s Policies seemed wonderful at the outset, but they actually aided the depression. The Hawley-Smoot Tariff, for example, angered foreigners and caused the British to raise their interest rates. It also increased financial chaos.