Economist

The Economist The Republican Presidents: Good or Bad?

Caleb Kwok, Katelyn Sharp, Rudy Nahra, Tommy Stevens

Table of Contents: ❖ Letter To the Editor……………..………….…….Pg 1

❖ Will America “Return to Normalcy”?..........Pg 2

❖ Should America be Isolated?.......................Pg 3

❖ The Red Scare: The Republicans’ Disaster..Pg 7

❖ Is Deregulation Deregulating Society?….….Pg 9

❖ Sources………………………………………………...Pg 12

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Dear Editor,

What is your opinion on the Republican Presidents and their effectiveness in running the nation?

-Daniel Higgs

During the presidency of Coolidge, the economy did grow. But because of the Republicans’ approach, it allowed monopolies and a differentiation of the social classes to grow. To the extent that the

Daniel,

The Republican presidents that we’ve had have not been as effective as they could’ve been. While they did allow the economy to grow, they also allowed monopolies to grow, abused the Red Scare, and did not isolate our country like the general public wanted.

During the presidency of Harding his plan was to bring America back to “Normalcy” and have the government stay away from the society. He wanted to create a federal agency to assist the veterans back to a normal life after World War one. Harding put a tight limit on immigration to the U.S. Lastly, he wanted to take away wartime taxes after the war was over.

27,000 families with the highest income earned as much as the 11 million families with the lowest income. Because of the Republican party’s approach to the economy, many companies were able to commit fraud without punishment and brought disasters like the Teapot Dome Scandal and the Red Scare.

Along with scandals, which have angered the people, the failure to isolate our country has also angered our people. Not only that, but the anger against other countries and foreigners has sparked a sense of nativism that has created groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

The Republicans’ handling of the Red Scare turned a bad situation into a disaster.

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Under the Republican presidents during the Red Scare,thousands were arrested without a warrant or fair trial. Hundreds were deported not because of actions, but political views. The Republicans also abused the Red Scare to take down unrelated organizations.

All of these are reasons why the Republican presidents we’ve had are not effective.

In conclusion, the Republican presidents we’ve had have not been effective because they allowed monopolies to grow, allowed nativism to spark, and allowed the Red Scare to get out of hand.

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Will America “Return to Normalcy” Katelyn Sharp All president Harding wants for America

Most people like Harding's idea of bringing

is to “Return to Normalcy”. Now, you are

America back to normalcy. They say that it will

probably wondering what that means. Well, what

bring them away from wartime stress because

Harding thinks to make America return back to

they need it and love his ideas about it. If you

normal is for the government to get away from

have a country like ours then you won't want

society and to get peace for the country.

financial issues if we bring America back to

However, Coolidge has a different definition of

normalcy. Having a government away society

normalcy. He thinks it means the government

may be a good and also a bad thing because

did little to interfere with business or economic

some people like to know how the government is

life in the country.

doing and they can create jobs and people help

To bring a country back to normalcy is a lot of

out with the government and protect our

work according to Harding. But he knows he can

freedom. The community thinks we need the

do it. His approach on this is to withdraw from

government to stay with society but that's my

world affairs because they just came out of

opinion because they protect us and can create

World War I and wants nothing to do with the

jobs.

rest of the world. Harding wants to take away

Finally, this plan to assist America back to a

wartime taxes because it is expensive. Things are

normalcy is good for America because we will

so expensive and unavailable during the war that

have no wartime stress and financial issues and

the president wants things to change. He hopes

will have a government away from society. In

that people will be happy and content once they

conclusion, Harding has a good point of view to

are no longer affected by the war. He cut taxes

what he is thinking and everyone says it will

and governmental spending. Credit became

work. I think America should return back to

available, and people can now purchase more

normalcy.

than they ever have before. How about creating a federal agency to assist the veterans? Harding believes it is a good idea to assist the veterans in the right way and return to a normal life; and also have everyone in the community return to a better and peaceful life. There will be tight limits on immigration into the U.S. because they don't want to deal with anyone or anything since they're just getting out of World War I and also have to deal with the presidential election. All that the veterans want is a peaceful and a clean environment.

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Should America be Isolated?

Caleb Kwok In these times after the Great War, do

First of all, are we trying to isolate ourselves,

we honestly need to get into more conflict,

or are we trying to help the world? We have

more troubles, or even worse, war? The

removed our troops from Latin America, and

answer should be no! These two presidents

we have not joined the League of Nations,

have not been protecting us as much as we,

those are steps towards isolation, but

the people, would like for them to. We are

President Harding has tried to make amends

trying to isolate ourselves from the world,

with Mexico, after their betrayal in the war.

trying to care less about our foreign policy

We have not joined The League of Nations,

and affairs, but at the same time, trying to

so why is it that we occasionally have

stop another war from happening. This is

representatives attending their meetings?

not how our country should be. Our country

Along with that, if we’re not a member of the

must decide: do we stay isolated? Or do we

League, should we support the World Court,

try to act as a peacekeeper in the world? We

or should we just stay out? It seems as

also must also decide if we really are going to

though we are taking steps towards

have foreign affairs, would discrimination

isolation, but then we drag ourselves back

towards immigrants affect our relations with

into the world. If we can stay isolated and

another country?

neutral in a war, the best will happen for our country and for the American people.

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If we are isolated, why are we involving

Should we continue to leave the

ourselves in war? The problem is, our country

countries of Europe in debt to us, or should

is not isolated and is not working toward being

we help them? President Harding and his

isolated, so war is still a concern to our people.

budget director had a plan to help the

Our leaders, if they are not working toward

European countries to pay off their war

isolation, should join the World Court, along

debts. In this plan, we would loan Germany

with other means of preventing of war. The

the money they need in order for them to

Kellogg-Briand pact has done that, we have

pay back war reparations to both France and

successfully outlawed wars and many nations

England. This is a way to get France and

now agree that the declaration of war is illegal,

England out of debt, but not Germany. Even

but that is just a formality, it cannot be

if Germany is in debt to us, what gain do we

enforced, a country can still claim

get? A chance of peace and good relations

“Self-defense” and have war. We have signed a

between European countries? Though we

treaty with Germany, officially ending the war.

don’t know if this would work. On the

Oh my

AH !!!!!

contrary, President Coolidge has said that because these countries got themselves into their troubles, it is their problem and we are not obligated to help. We have been successful in compromising with other countries to disarm militaries across the world, but this mainly for large naval ships.

What’s the point in reducing the number of

The Kellogg-Briand pact outlaws war, but it cannot be enforced, in other words, it is useless

large ships when countries can just produce smaller ships that are just as dangerous and allowed? The U.S. should not get into wars if we can stay isolated and neutral, but if our leaders are not going to isolate us, let us hope that world peace will be achieved.

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Our foreign affairs are

The Ku Klux Klan now comprises of

beginning to fall apart, beginning with

these people who have a strong sense of

our immigration, the immigrants are

nativism and think that their voices,

causing sever nativism among our

and only their voice should be heard. In

people. President Harding established

quite a few states they have a vice like

a quota system to regulate immigrants

grip on the government and have

and President Coolidge really pressed

routinely held marches in our nation’s

for it to be tighter thus the amount of

Capitol. The KKK, is not the patriotic

immigrants allowed from each nation

group it claims to be. Is it patriotic to

to enter our country has been reduced

discriminate against people who are

from 3% to 2% and amounts of total

different from us? Are these ideals not

immigrants have been capped off at a

contrary to the ideals our country was

maximum of 164,000 instead of the

founded on? Our country is not about

375,000 that was previously

one group against another, it is about

established. This is just ridiculous

being one unified country who fights

nonsense! How can we have a country

for the common goal, just like our

where people can have the products

forefathers fought for freedom from

they want, if there are no people that

England. We cannot reduce the amount

are willing to do the manual labor?

of immigration into our country, what

Yes, some immigrants are taking jobs

would that look like to other countries?

from workers, but employers don’t

Would a country be ready to engage in

have to employ them. Some large

foreign affairs with the U.S. if we are

businesses have done precisely that.

not acceptant to their people? We need

They are no longer hiring immigrants.

to accept their differences, so other

That may seem unfair to some, but to

countries will see that we are willing to

those people who lost their jobs, and

accept differences.

others, feel that immigrants are ruining America.

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In short, if our country is to be led into the next generation, we must decide whether we should isolate ourselves, and solve our domestic problems first, or to step out into the world. If we try to have good relations with countries, should the situation with immigrants be changed?

Either way, our leaders have decisions to make; decisions that will hopefully lead to world peace.

The allowed flow of immigration from Europe is being reduced

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The Red Scare: The Republicans’ disaster Rudy Nahra Have you or someone you know been

day and age are being arrested without a

affected by the federal government

proper warrant or fair trial. Even more

combating the Red Scare? The federal

sickening is the fact that the Republicans are

government has taken drastic measures over

allowing this to happen. Even with the threat

the last few years to rid of the Red Scare

of radicalism, arresting possibly innocent

across the country. The Republicans have

people without a proper warrant is way over

allowed the police to arrest alleged radicals

the line. The Republicans have gone too far

without a proper warrant. The government

to combat the Red Scare.

acted irresponsibly in the name of fighting

The government, on all levels,

the Red Scare. Lastly, the Republicans have

normally follows a very specific procedure

abused America’s fear of the Red Scare for

when prosecuting someone in order to be

unrelated causes. For these reasons, the

fair to all. During the Red Scare a few years

Republicans have gone too far with their

ago, the government acted irresponsibly and

excessive and non-functional ways of

did not follow these normal and fair

combating the Red Scare.

procedures. The government deported some

Over the past few years, people have

people only because of their beliefs. They

been arrested across the country for alleged

had not done anything wrong. Members

radicalism without a proper warrant. Pool

were also expelled from the New York State

halls, restaurants, and even private homes

Assembly only because of their political

were raided by police forces in 33 cities.

views. The Republicans have gone too far to

4000 alleged radicals were arrested without

combat the Red Scare by punishing people

a proper warrant. It is outrageous that

who did no wrong.

people in America in this

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In conclusion, the Republicans have People in America, until now, seemed gone too far to combat the Red Scare to want to take down anything to do with the because they started to ignore the rights of Red Scare. The Republicans not only have Americans in the name of fighting the Red been adding to the fear of the Red Scare, but Scare. They also spawned nativism as a they have been abusing it as well. The result, and also abused America’s fear by Republicans have been pushing their own attacking unrelated things that were ignored agenda in the name of ridding of the Red or supported only because of America’s fear.

Scare, and not the agenda of the American people. An example of this was the arrest of most of the members of the Industrial Workers of the World, an organization that was targeted by the federal government for years before the rise of radicalism, even before WWI, after they were accused of radicalism. The Red Scare died down when Americans finally realized that radicalism was not even close to a problem compared to how much the federal government was trying to take away their rights. This event has made it very clear that the Republicans have not only gone too far to combat the Red Scare, but are also abusing it.

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Is Deregulation Deregulating society?

Tommy Stevens The economy may be booming, but it’s

the Federal Trade Commission was corrupt?

not helping America as much as you think. The

Allowing businesses to commit Fraud. Obviously

Government's laissez-faire view of the economy

the government is not controlling the companies

has let some unlawful things slip through the

rather it is companies controlling the

cracks: scams, monopolies, fraud and more. You

government.

may like the deregulation under the Republican party, but it is not helping America.

Unemployment may at an all time low,

The lack of control of the government over the economy has let people create scams.

One example it the Florida Land Boom, where

but poverty is not. The living wage for the

companies would sell worthless land in florida to

average family is $2,500 annual salary, but half

prospects who would try to sell that land for

of tax paying families are earning an average of $

more once the stock went up. This left many

1,500 per year. And the majority of those

people with worthless land, sometimes

families are unskilled workers, who have the

underwater. Another is the Ponzi Scheme. This

hardest time finding jobs.

scam claimed to make everyone a lot of money.

Government is corrupt under the

But the mastermind, Ponzi himself, would just

Republican Party. Remember the Teapot Dome

take money he got from new investors to other

Scandal? When the Secretary of Interior, Albert

older investors. Laissez-faire let american

Fall, sold government oil reserves to oil

citizens lose millions of dollars.

companies for bribes. Or when the Attorney

Big businesses are only getting bigger

General, Harry Daugherty, retrieved $75,000

causing monopolies. For example, it is even

when he only had a salary of $12,000. Or how

more distraught in the car industry. Ninety

about when it was revealed to the public that

percent of the whole industry is controlled by

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But the mastermind, Ponzi himself, would just take money he got from new investors to other older investors. Laissez-faire let american citizens lose millions of dollars.

Big businesses are only getting bigger causing monopolies. For example, it is even more distraught in the car industry. Ninety percent of the whole industry is controlled by three giant monopolies: Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. This is greatly reducing the competition which allows them to increase their prices leaving you no choice to buy it.

All in all, deregulation has benefits and drawbacks. The Republicans have increased employment, but they are horrible jobs that don’t pay living wage. Production is increasing, but that is because of big companies becoming monopolies. The cost is not worth the risk. The stock may be rising, but eventually it is going to fall. And when it falls it will fall hard.

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