USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Its purpose was to promote economic fairness and competitiveness and to regulate interstate commerce. Ohio Sen. John Sherman proposed and passed it in 1890. The act signaled an important shift in American regulatory strategy toward business and markets.

Detailed explanation-2: -Trusts are the organization of several businesses in the same industry and by joining forces, the trust controls production and distribution of a product or service, thereby limiting competition. Monopolies are businesses that have total control over a sector of the economy, including prices.

Detailed explanation-3: -Antitrust laws protect competition. Free and open competition benefits consumers by ensuring lower prices and new and better products. In a freely competitive market, each competing business generally will try to attract consumers by cutting its prices and increasing the quality of its products or services.

Detailed explanation-4: -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."

Detailed explanation-5: -The trusts speeded up mergers and eliminated competition among their members. They also concentrated control of national wealth in the hands of a few millionaire families. As monopolies, the trusts often could dictate whatever prices and wages they wanted with little fear of competition.