"We approach closer and closer to socialism"

This quote by B. Carroll Reece is a reflection of the changing political landscape of the early 20th century. Reece was a Republican Congressman from Tennessee and was a singing challenger of the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was worried that the government was becoming too involved in the economy which the country was moving closer and closer to socialism. Reece believed that socialism was a harmful ideology that would result in a loss of individual flexibility and economic prosperity. He argued that the government must not be involved in the economy and that the free market should be allowed to operate without government interference. Reece's quote is a tip of the significance of private liberty and economic freedom and the dangers of federal government overreach.