Political Party: Democrat Terms: 1885-1889 and 1893-1897 (Non-consecutive)
Political Policies
- Extended the power of the executive branch. Like when he used executive privileges to not hand over department files to Congress.
- Used the executive power to veto 414 times. This helped to establish an equilibrium between executive and legislative branches.
- Sent warships to Panama and almost went to war with Britain over Venezuela.
Social Policies
- Reluctant to use federal power to enforce the 15th Amendment. However, he allowed Frederick Douglass to continue in his post and appointed another black man (James Cambell Matthews) to replace Douglass upon his resignation.
- Believed that Chinese immigrants were unwilling to assimilate into white society.
- Lobbied Congress to pass the Scott Act, which prevented the return of Chinese immigrants who left the United States.
- Did little to relieve workers of the economic depression during his term.
Economic Policies
- Believed in the lowering of tariffs and believed lowering tariffs were key to his ideals in free trade principles. He was very out there about his disliking of high tariffs and believed it to be catastrophic to the trade in the United States.
- Worked to reduce barriers in international trade.
- During his second election, Grover sent troops to break the Pullman’s Strike in Chicago.