Okuma's policies were to stabilize the Meiji Government's financial base by Haihan-chiken, land-tax reform and Chitsuroku-shobun (Abolition Measure of Hereditary Stipend), to promote a modern trade and craft industry (encouragement of new industry) by building government-owned factories, and to develop private entrepreneurs by injecting government funds through National Bank (Meiji).
大隈の政策は廃藩置県・地租改正・秩禄処分を通じて明治政府の財政基盤を安定させ、近代的な商工業育成（殖産興業）のために官営工場を建設するとともに、国立銀行_(明治)を通じて政府資金を導入して民間事業者の育成に努めた。