Ch.24+Republican+Government

__Harding and Coolidge__  [|Harding]  and [|Coolidge] were men who did very little during there time in office. Harding was elected in 1920. He was elected thanks to an agreement between the Republican party leaders. Harding ended up in being the wrong person for the job. Harding seamed to be confused by his responsibilities as president, prefering to be a gregarious poker player. In 1923 Harding died of a heart attack that was not correctly diagnosed. Quickly following his death, the [|Teapot Dome Scandal] came into public view which hurt his administration. Unlike Harding, Calvin Coolidge was a silent individual but just like Harding, Coolidge took a passive approach toward his office. If anything, Coolidge did less then Harding, despite getting reelected in 1924.

__Government and Business__ In 1920's the government was set up to so the industrial economy could flourish, in a system commonly known as 'laissez faire' economics. [|Andrew Mellon], the Secretary of the Treasury worked to lower taxes on corporate profits, personal income, and inheritances. He also worked with Coolidge to reduce government spending. Commerce secretary [|Herbert Hoover] fought for the voluntary operation of the private sector. Hoover argued that voluntary operation of the private sector would lead to a stable economy. Hoover also promoted efficiency in production and marketing for industry. In 1928 Hoover was elected president, his victory was short lived, however, with the start of the Great Depression.

Sources: [|tqnyc.org] [|ysfine.com] //A Survey: American History, 12th Edition// by Alan Brinkely