The Bull Moose answer pauses to explain the Square Deal in Roosevelt's own terms. Fair play under existing rules was not enough if those rules denied substantial equality of opportunity and reward for equally good service. The program joined conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection. Control meant regulation that prevented monopolies and corporations from acting like nation-states, not government ownership. Roosevelt combined market institutions with a willingness to rewrite their governing rules.
Notable Point · 22:32-24:17
The Square Deal changed the rules without nationalizing business
Roosevelt's Square Deal sought fairer opportunity through conservation, consumer protection, and regulation strong enough to restrain monopolies without nationalizing firms.