Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) Practice Exam

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Which act was passed during the Progressive Era?

  1. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act

  2. The Taft-Hartley Act

  3. The Emergency Banking Act

  4. The Hawley-Smoot Act

The correct answer is: The Sherman Anti-Trust Act

The Sherman Anti-Trust Act is a significant piece of legislation from the Progressive Era, which is generally recognized as a time of social activism and political reform in the United States from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Enacted in 1890, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act aimed to combat anti-competitive practices, monopolies, and corporate trusts that were seen as detrimental to fair competition in the marketplace. This act represents the Progressive movement's emphasis on breaking up powerful corporations and ensuring economic fairness for consumers and smaller businesses. By prohibiting agreements in restraint of trade and actual monopolization, it laid the groundwork for later antitrust legislation and regulatory frameworks designed to promote competition and protect consumers. In contrast, the other options belong to different historical contexts: the Taft-Hartley Act was enacted in 1947 during a period focusing on labor relations; the Emergency Banking Act was passed in 1933 as part of the New Deal to stabilize the banking system during the Great Depression; and the Hawley-Smoot Act, also not from the Progressive Era, was a 1930 tariff act that raised duty levels on imports, contributing to a decline in international trade during the same period. Thus, the Sherman Anti