By eliminating competition, trusts could charge whatever price they chose. Corporate greed, rather than market demands, determined the price for products. Progressives advocated legislation that would break up these trusts, known as “trust busting.”

What was the purpose of trust busting?

Trust busting is the manipulation of an economy, carried out by governments around the world, in an attempt to prevent or eliminate monopolies and corporate trusts.

What was Theodore Roosevelt trust busting?

A Progressive reformer, Roosevelt earned a reputation as a “trust buster” through his regulatory reforms and antitrust prosecutions. … His “Square Deal” included regulation of railroad rates and pure foods and drugs; he saw it as a fair deal for both the average citizen and the businessmen.