ulation ▁of ▁rail ro ads ▁and ▁large ▁corpor ations ▁(" tr ust s "), ▁the ▁money ▁issue ▁( g old ▁versus ▁silver ), ▁the ▁protect ive ▁tar iff , ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁labor ▁un ions , ▁child ▁labor , ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁bank ing ▁system , ▁cor ruption ▁in ▁party ▁politics , ▁primary ▁elections , ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁income ▁tax , ▁direct ▁election ▁of ▁sen ators , ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation , ▁efficiency ▁in ▁government , ▁women ' s ▁suff rage , ▁and ▁control ▁of ▁imm igration . ▁Foreign ▁policy ▁centered ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁Spanish – American ▁War , ▁Imperial ism , ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Revolution , ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁and ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁League ▁of ▁Nations . ▁Domin ant ▁personal ities ▁included ▁pres idents ▁William ▁McK in ley ▁( R ), ▁The odore ▁Ro ose vel t ▁( R ) ▁and ▁Wood row ▁Wilson ▁( D ), ▁three - time ▁president ial ▁candidate ▁William ▁Jenn ings ▁Bry an ▁( D ), ▁and ▁Wisconsin ' s ▁progress ive ▁Republican ▁Robert ▁M . ▁La ▁Fol lette , ▁Sr . ▁ ▁Begin nings ▁The ▁period ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁real ignment ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 4 – 9 6 . ▁The ▁Republican ▁victory ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁over ▁William ▁Jenn ings ▁Bry an ▁and ▁his ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁while ▁relatively ▁close ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁when ▁Republican ▁victory ▁repeated ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁by ▁an ▁even ▁bigger ▁margin , ▁restored ▁business