From the beginning, the United States of America was seen as a commercial republic. For over a century, one of the greatest sources of conflict in American politics has been how the government should respond to major economic trends stemming from the Industrial Revolution. Our readings have presented various views on the role of the free market, government welfare, and government regulation in securing the freedom and prosperity at which our institutions aim. Your task, in 4-5 pages, is to compare and contrast the most important conflicting views on these matters, emphasizing the rational and evidential basis of the claims you examine. Among the authors we have read, who has the more convincing argument, and why? What policies would best secure the liberty of citizens in economic and related affairs, and why?
