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Domestic Issues

Warren G. Harding was elected president at a time when most Americans wanted to forget the domestic reforms that had marked the first years of Woodrow Wilson's presidency—his campaign against large monopoly corporations that had grown up in this country, for example—and the hardships and suffering they had endured during World War I (1914–18). They were generally uninterested in political reform, and they were becoming increasingly disillusioned with the consequences of the war. Wilson had promised lasting peace and democracy in Europe, and these objectives were already beginning to fade by 1920.

Business and Labor

Harding proposed pro-business legislation: lower taxes, a balanced budget, and higher tariffs to protect the nation's industries from foreign competition.