Final answer:
The Reconstruction policy that advocated for punishing the Southern leadership was championed by the Radical Republicans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of Reconstruction policy that wanted to be more punishing to the defeated southern leadership was advocated by the Radical Republicans. Initially, President Andrew Johnson shared some of these punitive sentiments, expressing that 'Treason is a crime and must be...made infamous, and traitors must be impoverished.' However, as his presidency progressed, Johnson's stance shifted towards leniency and quicker reintegration of the South into the Union. This change in direction, away from the Radical Republican approach which sought to completely overturn southern society and punish the Confederate leadership, led to a growing rift between Johnson and Congress.
Radical Republicans wanted to destroy the old plantation system and ensure the rights of formerly enslaved people, going to the extent of supporting land redistribution. Johnson's reluctance to confiscate and redistribute land to formerly enslaved individuals, coupled with his rejection of federal involvement in providing voting rights for them, only added to the conflict. The differences in views on how to reconstruct the South formed the foundation of a significant political struggle during the Reconstruction era.