Final answer:
Three government checks on big business include the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up monopolies, the Clayton Antitrust Act to ban practices reducing competition, and the establishment of the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these laws.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is about three government checks on big business. These include laws controlling monopolies such as the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which was the nation's first antitrust law, and was a demonstration of the government's power to break up monopolies. The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 further expanded these laws by specifically outlawing practices that would reduce competition, such as certain types of mergers, price discrimination, and tied sales.
Additionally, the creation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the same year gave a regulatory agency the power to define and enforce the prohibition of unfair business practices. Over the years, these laws and the role of the FTC have been crucial in maintaining competition and preventing the consolidation of too much power in the hands of a few large companies.