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Introduction
The American Political system has undergone several phases through the past presidents’ policies and reforms. The Republican Party, also known as the Grand Old Party (G.O.P), is one of the two main parties in the U.S. As of today, the Republican Party has garnered a total of nineteen presidencies and numerous governorships. Its main rival, the Democratic Party, has had twenty-one presidencies. The Republican White House of 1921-1933 was popularly known as the New Era due to its impacts on Americans (Leffler 76). The period 1921-1933 reflected the heavy burden of isolationist policies and poor economic policies in America.
The Republican White House (1921-1933) began when President Warren. G. Harding was sworn into office as the twenty-ninth president of the U.S. President Harding had promised the people a return to normalcy as the country was recovering from the aftermath of World War I. His promise appealed to the people who gave him sufficient support to win the election. The presidents who came after Harding perpetuated the trade restrictions, hoping to protect the country against the havoc created by foreign markets. However, the workers and consumers in the country suffered from high taxes and injustice as the leaders watched. This paper evaluates Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover’s presidencies and their impacts locally and globally. It shows that contrary to Harding’s promise of normalcy, the country witnessed political isolationism, corruption, and a foreign policy that wreaked havoc in the American financial sector.
Foreign Policy and Isolationism
The period 1921-1933, three presidents: Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, sought to establish policies that defined the relationship between the U.S and foreign countries through such policies as immigration laws and trade laws. In trying to keep his promise of restoring normalcy and healing the nation, President Harding sought to protect Americans from foreign influence by introducing trade tariffs. Harding’s leadership was expected to heal the nation from the economic, political, and social interference that had ripped the country apart as a result of the world war. In his words, Harding believed that “America’s present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration,” as detailed in the class text in chapter 7 (“22.2: Republican White House, 1921-1933”, 2021). Although Harding’s goal was to protect Americans as opposed to creating a crisis with foreign countries, his orientation towards 100% American products significantly altered America’s foreign policy.
Harding’s leadership did not accomplish the mission of restoring peace and order in the nation. Following his death in 1923, many would have thought that a New Era of healing would follow from the next presidency. However, as vice-president Coolidge rose to the office of the presidency, the country witnessed another foreign policy that plunged the country into an era of isolationism. As a result of the 1924 Immigration Act, foreigners who were not eligible for U.S. citizenship due to race or nationality were barred from entering the country (“22.2: Republican White House, 1921-1933”, 2021). People of Asian ancestry were barred from naturalizing under outdated nationality regulations enacted in the 1790s and 1870s, as shown by Leffler (80). The government’s move to adopt old-age politics and isolate itself from the rest of the world was bound to pose significant socio-political and economic challenges.
The country’s economic growth is determined by its relationship with other countries through trade and migration. However, the leadership of Coolidge sought to minimize the number of Asians in the country, a move that severely affected America’s relationship with Japan. As a result of the 1924 Act, “even Asians who had previously been allowed to immigrate – such as the Japanese – were barred from entering the United States” (Powaski 115). The law, which broke the Gentlemen’s Agreement, enraged many Japanese. Despite the protests of the Japanese government, the law was upheld, further escalating tensions between the two countries. The United States Congress seems to have determined that protecting the country’s racial makeup was more crucial than improving relations with Japan, despite the rising tensions.
Economic Collapse
Harding’s leadership was bent on reversing the wartime trade controls without carefully considering the long-term effects of the trade policies implemented. The post-war economic system in America was characterized by minimal participation in labor unions that denied workers a chance to fight for their rights. As documented in the course text, the trade laws established during Harding’s presidency reduced workers’ bargaining power and rendered them powerless in the political and social arenas (“22.2: Republican White House, 1921-1933”, 2021). The lack of business regulations to protect workers and the limited union activities led to low production levels and a decline in consumption.
Harding’s tariffs worsened the economic situation, and the ascension of Coolidge to power made the consumers and workers more powerless in an unchecked business environment. Coolidge proudly claimed that the “chief business of the American people is business” (Leffler 92). The lenient business regulations and isolationist policies led to market domination by the rich and deterioration of trade. With the high tariffs imposed, foreign businesses were barred from investing in the U.S., a condition that further plunged the economy into a recession. In summary, the country’s economic system was ruined by the lowering of taxes for wealthy businesspeople.
Coolidge showed no intention of running for the presidency in 1928, a decision that gave Hoover a chance to rise to power. Having served as secretary of commerce in Harding’s presidency, President Hoover was better placed to resuscitate the economy than the previous two presidents. Hoover’s campaign was centered on economic growth and sustainability, a promise he believed would be easily kept during his leadership (Powaski 120). However, Hoover’s support of laissez-faire conservatism plunged the country into the great depression in 1929 (Powaski 123). Although President Hoover tried to implement several fiscal policies, the great depression continued for three years. When his term ended, Hoover was blamed for his lenient leadership that plunged the economy into the worst economic crisis and lost the election to Roosevelt.
Corruption
One of the key responsibilities of a government is ensuring equitable distribution of resources and justice. However, the Republican White House 1921-1933 revealed how leaders’ self-centeredness reduced a democratic, powerful country into an isolationist country whose economy collapsed in the hands of the same leaders expected to revive it (Powaski 140). In the Harding presidency, a complaint arose over the appointment of the president’s friends into government offices. In addition, some officials in Harding’s government planned to sell public land to a private company in Wyoming (“22.2: Republican White House, 1921-1933”, 2021). Coolidge’s presidency did little to change the political climate in the country.
While he campaigned for business, Coolidge ignored the voices of activists who demanded equal rights and federal support for education programs. During Hoover’s presidency, non-union labor was limited, restricting many individuals who were blocked from joining labor unions in the U.S. Hoover’s presidency was characterized by an obstinate refusal to involve the federal government in easing the subsequent historic depression’s human cost. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the unemployment rate had risen to 15 percent, breadlines lined the country’s towns, and hordes of destitute Americans had taken up residence in dilapidated shantytowns known as “Hoovervilles” (Powaski 123). It had come to be that the name Hoover had become synonymous with apathy. This counts as corruption because, while the citizens suffered, Hoover remained adamant in his static isolationist ideals. In addition, the rich dominated the business sector and paid little taxes, while workers and consumers carried the heavy burden of taxation.
Conclusion
The period 1921-1933 came to be known as the New Era mainly because numerous changes took place. It was also the time when activism rose, with women taking part in campaigning for justice and equality. The public was convinced of attaining normalcy through Harding’s leadership but received trade restrictions and immigration laws instead. With the death of Harding, Coolidge ascended to power and plunged the country into worse economic times through high tariffs and low taxes for the wealthy business owners. The workers and consumers had no one to defend them. In reference to foreign policy, the three presidents: Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, fostered isolationism by restricting immigration. Although these presidents sought to protect the country against foreign interference, they created a crisis between countries and left the country poor by the end of the Great Depression.
Works Cited
“22.2: Republican White House, 1921-1933”. Humanities Libretexts, 2021, Web.
Leffler, Melvyn. “3. Political Isolationism, Economic Expansionism, or Diplomatic Realism: American Policy toward Western Europe, 1921– 1933”. Safeguarding Democratic Capitalism, 2017, pp. 76-116. Princeton University Press.
Powaski, R. E. “Herbert Hoover, Henry Stimson, and the Collapse of the Post-World War I International Order, 1921–1933.” American Presidential Statecraft, 2017, pp. 113-168.
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