Republican; Soon after taking office, William McKinley called a special session of Congress in order to raise custom duties, and the result was the Dingley Tariff Act, the highest protective tariff in American history. The Treaty of Paris signed in 1898 officially ended the Spanish-American War and gave Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S., and Cuba gained its independence. McKinley's Open Door Policy aimed at supporting U.S. commercial interests in China
and ensuring a strong U.S. position in world markets.
and ensuring a strong U.S. position in world markets.
Republican; Roosevelt's "Square Deal" domestic program included a promise to battle large industrial combinations/trusts that threatened to restrain trade. The National Reclamation Act signed in 1902 set aside almost 200 million acres for national forests, reserves, and wildlife refugees. Roosevelt's "Big Stick" policy stated that the President should be able to use force to back up his diplomatic negotiations. Roosevelt's corollary to the Monroe Doctrine stated that the United States would bar foreign intervention in Latin America and act to police the hemisphere and ensure that countries paid their international debts.
Republican; In 1909, Taft's convention of a special session of Congress to debate tariff reform led to the Payne-Aldrich tariff, which was unsuccessful and did little to lower tariffs. He empowered the Interstate Commerce Commission to set railroad rates, and supported constitutional amendments that mandated a federal income tax and the direct election of senators by the people.
Democrat; The Underwood-Simmons Act reduced the tariffs on imports and imposed a new federal tax. The Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission were also created. He also established new child labor laws, eight hour workdays for railroad workers, and government loans to farmers. Wilson also helped negotiate the Treaty of Versailles which called for the end of WWI and the creation of a League of Nations. Wilson's "Fourteen Points" outlined his plan for a postwar peace settlement.