What did the Panic of 1907 demonstrate about the federal government's control of the economy?

• A. It showed the government still had little control over the industrial economy
• B. Led to a central bank creation
• C. Automatically ended the Progressive Era
• D. Caused the dissolution of stock market

Answer: (A)

The Panic of 1907 shows that the federal government did not yet have the tools to fully steer a rapidly growing industrial economy. In that crisis there was no central authority to lend money or coordinate nationwide action, so the economy depended on private bankers and ad hoc efforts to prevent a total collapse. The episode highlighted how fragile credit and currency could be during a time of big corporate power and rapid industrial expansion, and it underscored the need for structural reforms to give the government more control over monetary policy and financial stability. This judgment helped spur later reforms, culminating in the creation of the Federal Reserve System, which would provide a national, centralized mechanism to manage the money supply and lender-of-last-resort functions.