NAME _______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________
Analyzing Political Cartoons
netw rks
The Jazz Age, 1921–1929
Plagued by Scandal
Background
Directions: Look at the political cartoon, and answer the questions
that follow.
©The Granger Collection, New York
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
When Warren G. Harding took over the White House in 1921, he brought
with him many friends and supporters from Ohio. Harding and his cronies
fit in well with the spirit of the Roaring Twenties. They spent their evenings
drinking and playing poker well into the night. The members of the socalled Ohio Gang were not politicians and had little experience in
government, and Harding’s practice of hiring his pals soon got him into
trouble. The Teapot Dome affair, exposed in 1922, was perhaps the most
sensational scandal, but it was not the first—or the last—time someone in
the Harding administration was accused of bribery or corruption. The head
of the Veterans’ Bureau later went to jail for scamming $250 million from
the government. Harding’s good friend Harry Daugherty was accused
several times of taking bribes to settle matters before the Justice
Department. There was no indication that Harding profited from any of
these scandals, and he complained privately that his friends had betrayed
his trust. Harding died before he could address the problems or usher in
reforms. In addition, historians remember Harding primarily for the
corruption in his administration. Senate investigations and trials continued
to capture the attention of Americans throughout the 1920s, undermining
Americans’ faith in their government. Political cartoons, such as “Bargain
Day in Washington,” captured the growing sense of betrayal of and
mistrust felt by Americans.
NAME _______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________
Analyzing Political Cartoons Cont.
netw rks
The Jazz Age, 1921–1929
Critical Thinking
1.
What does this cartoon say about the reason behind the scandals and
corruption of the Harding administration?
2.
What are some reasons that government corruption occurs? Did any
aspects of the Harding administration contribute to the scandals?
3.
Warren G. Harding has been ranked among the worst presidents to
have served, primarily due to the corruption of his administration.
Do you think this is a fair assessment? Should Harding be responsible
for the actions of his political appointees? Why or why not?
4.
Public opinion polls suggest that Americans today have less faith in
government than did Americans in the 1920s. What factors might
have contributed to this trend?
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.