6.11 Controversies over the Role of Government

The Gilded Age was marked by deep controversy over the proper role of government in the economy and society. The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire capitalism held that the state should interfere as little as possible in the affairs of business. Industrialists argued that free competition and private initiative would produce prosperity for all. However, the concentration of corporate power, the exploitation of labor, and the corruption of politics challenged these assumptions. Reformers called for greater government regulation to curb monopoly and protect the public interest. The tension between regulation and freedom became one of the defining debates of the period.