Final answer:
The Gilded Age and the present day share issues of economic inequality and perceived political corruption, with business interests having strong influence over politics and journalism playing a critical role in exposing issues. However, the scale and nature of these problems have evolved with the modern digital age.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Gilded Age and today's problems share similarities in terms of economic disparities and perceptions of widespread corruption. During the Gilded Age, rapid industrial growth and national expansion thinly veiled stark economic inequalities and rampant corruption, especially among America's bankers and industrialists. This was a time when business interests heavily influenced politics, and corrupt dealings such as graft and bribery were justified by the purported inevitability of corruption in successful political careers.
Comparing this to contemporary issues, some argue that the early twenty-first century is experiencing a Second Gilded Age, where economic inequality is again on the rise, and there is a perception that oligarchies or a small number of extremely wealthy individuals have significant power over political processes. Similar to the past, contemporary journalism plays a crucial role in exposing scandals and fostering public debate on these issues. Tariffs, monetary policy, and suspicion of corporations and financiers remain topics of interest and concern.
However, despite the similarities, the scale and intricacies of modern economies and political systems present unique challenges and differences from the late nineteenth century. The digital age has transformed communication, business, and social dynamics in ways that are fundamentally different from the Gilded Age. Thus, while the essence of certain problems persists, their contexts and manifestations are distinct from the past.