Politics in the 1920s

ASU HST 200 (Historical Themes) The Jazz Age Redefining the Nation (1919-1929) Politics in the 1920s The Democratic Party began to wane in the 1920 election. With Theodore Roosevelt's death and Woodrow Wilson's declining health, a generation of Progressive leaders came to an end. The final traces of Progressive fervor vanished with the Red Scare, and Wilson's backing of the League of Nations incited anti-Democrat sentiment among German and Irish immigrants. The American people were very eager for a return to "normalcy" and were fed up with reform and witch hunts. Above all, the 1920s heralded a return to a government supportive of industry, verging on the laissez-faire politics of the late nineteenth-century Gilded Age. The prevailing mindset was established by Calvin Coolidge's remark that "the chief business of the American people is business," which is often interpreted as "the business of America is business." During the Jazz Age of the 1920s, the Republican Party came to power and drastically changed the course of American politics and culture. In the run-up to the 1920 election, the Democratic Party, which had gained influence in prior years, started to lose ground. An era for Progressive leadership came to an end with the deaths of major individuals like Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. With the start of the Red Scare, a period of extreme anti-communist panic that gripped the nation, the Progressive zeal that had marked preceding decades further faded. Anti-Democratic feeling was further stoked by Wilson's backing for the League of Nations, especially among German and Irish immigrants who felt excluded by his policies. In this context, the American people's yearning for a return to "normalcy" was evident. Many felt worn out and demoralized after the turbulent years of social unrest and transformation. The desire for security and familiarity was only heightened by the Red Scare's intense witch hunts and scare tactics. People yearned for stability and predictability in their lives, which they thought could be attained by adopting a more conventional and conservative style of government. In fact, the Republican Party's philosophy closely mirrored the aspirations of the American people, and the 1920s marked the beginning of a period of Republican domination. Calvin Coolidge famously said, "The chief business of the American people is business." This statement captured the general feeling of the period. This remark, which is sometimes understood to mean "the business of America is business," perfectly captured the general attitude of the day. It demonstrated support for the idea that economic success should come first and a government that gave business and industry first priority. In the 1920s, the laissez-faire politics of the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century made a comeback. There was less government involvement in the economy, and most rules were relaxed. Because it was thought that a healthy economy would benefit all facets of society, there was a strong emphasis on fostering an atmosphere that would encourage corporate acquisition and growth. Many Americans found great resonance in this approach, especially those who had been worst hit by economic problems in the years prior. But there were also others who opposed the return to a government that was more business-friendly. The laissez-faire policies of the 1920s, according to critics, disproportionately benefited the powerful and rich, escalating economic disparity and ignoring the demands of the working class. The speculative excesses that resulted in the 1929 stock market crash and the ensuing Great Depression were partly caused by the absence of government supervision in crucial sectors, such as banking and finance. The Republican takeover in American politics and culture during the 1920s, in spite of these concerns, was irreversibly altered. It changed the nature of government by placing a premium on stability and economic expansion. Throughout the decade, the country adopted a more conservative and business-oriented style to administration, marking a reversal from the progressive reforms of the preceding decades. Political discussions and policy decisions in the US are still influenced by the legacy of this era.