Which organization was established during the Progressive Era to enforce regulations and practice antitrust enforcement?

Which organization was established during the Progressive Era to enforce regulations and practice antitrust enforcement?

• A. Securities and Exchange Commission
• B. National Labor Relations Board
• C. Federal Trade Commission
• D. Environmental Protection Agency

Answer: (C)

Reforms in the Progressive Era aimed to curb corporate power by creating federal agencies to regulate business and enforce antitrust rules. The Federal Trade Commission, established in 1914, was designed specifically to police unfair methods of competition and deceptive practices and to enforce antitrust and consumer protection laws. This makes it the best fit for the prompt, as it embodies the era’s push for federal oversight to promote fair competition. By contrast, the Securities and Exchange Commission came later in the 1930s to regulate securities markets; the National Labor Relations Board appeared in the mid-1930s to oversee labor relations; and the Environmental Protection Agency was created in the 1970s to address environmental issues.

Reforms in the Progressive Era aimed to curb corporate power by creating federal agencies to regulate business and enforce antitrust rules. The Federal Trade Commission, established in 1914, was designed specifically to police unfair methods of competition and deceptive practices and to enforce antitrust and consumer protection laws. This makes it the best fit for the prompt, as it embodies the era’s push for federal oversight to promote fair competition. By contrast, the Securities and Exchange Commission came later in the 1930s to regulate securities markets; the National Labor Relations Board appeared in the mid-1930s to oversee labor relations; and the Environmental Protection Agency was created in the 1970s to address environmental issues.