The Progressive Movement's reforms intensified under which president?

• A. Woodrow Wilson
• B. Theodore Roosevelt
• C. William Howard Taft
• D. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Answer: (A)

During the Progressive Era, reforms intensified when the federal government took a broader, more active role in regulating the economy and expanding democracy, especially under Woodrow Wilson through his New Freedom agenda. Wilson pushed a series of sweeping reforms that broadened government oversight and tackled the power of large corporations. Key measures include creating the Federal Reserve System to stabilize the economy, enacting the Federal Trade Commission to police unfair business practices, and strengthening antitrust enforcement with the Clayton Antitrust Act. He also advanced structural changes like the 16th and 17th Amendments, which established the income tax and direct election of senators, respectively. These actions collectively represent a deeper and more systematic expansion of Progressive reforms than earlier efforts, marking a peak in the movement’s push for national government responsibility and democratic reforms.