Furthermore, Progressive reform with regards to labor also ended. Set up the US v. US Steel decisions the government overturned a system of non-intervention with the economic boom led by the Presidents Harding and Coolidge, the government of the US went back into a system of laissez-faire government and let the businesses and labor unions do their own thing. Furthermore, labor unions lost tremendous power during this period. Their members decreased dramatically and the public perception of the AFL as one of violence. Beginning with the Boston police strike, the many strikes during the 1020s resulted in death and the government did absolutely nothing, encouraging the loss of power to these unions. Likewise, people, such as Eugene V. Debs and the Socialist Party (Wobblies) contributed to further defame the image of the unions. Through continued non-interventional policies by the federal government coupled with the degrading image of unions, the 1920s marked an end to the Progressive reform that aimed to protect the rights of the everyday worker.
The Progressive movement in the US gained momentum during the early 20th century, greatly influencing the actions of the federal government. However, after about two decades of concentrated success, the movement began to decline in popularity. Progressive reform lost momentum in the 1920’s as regulation of business declined and the labor movement faced increased opposition.
During the 1920’s, conservatives began to take control of the federal government. They supported laissez faire economic policies that ran counter to Progressive ideals. Whereas Progressives supported active regulation of businesses to