The right answer is the use of new business models, the rise of new technology, and the expansion of railroads. The so-called Gilded Age was boosted by the Second Industrial Revolution. The economy was characterized by large-scale industrial development and a burgeoning agriculture sector. The Second Industrial Revolution was fueled by the creation of national transportation and communications systems, the use of electric power, and the application of scientific research to industrial processes. The federal government encouraged growth by imposing high tariffs on imported products and granting the railroad companies public land. The leading entrepreneurs were extraordinarily skilled at organizing and controlling industry.