Progressivism Politics 1890-1920

Progressivism definition

a movement for reform - difficult to fully label with no clear leader or aims

interventionism - the gov. should intervene at a local level to help society

CAUSE: Social problems

• Many Americans lived in poverty, overcrowded cities with poor conditions, lack of clean water

• Poor working conditions, 72hr working week, lack of welfare/sickpay/compensation

CAUSE: Economic problems

• 1893 depression - unemployment remained at 12% in the 1900s in industrial cities, falling living standard

• Agriculture decline due to falling prices (small farmers of the North could not compete with large-scale farming in the West)

CAUS: need for political reform

• a growing dissatisfaction with both parties - Progressives opposed both the Conservative values of the Democrats and the business associations of the republicans

• They opposed corrupt political machines and business domination as part of the political process

CAUSE: Fear of revolution

• concern about the growth of socialism and radicalisation - unless there was more reform there would be revolution - trade unions & strikes grow

• feared mostly stemmed from middle class who wanted a more stable society

CAUSE: The influence of the media

‘muckraking’ journalism exposed the major evils of American society, eg Upton Sinclair, McClure’s magazine - greatly influenced social opinion

CAUSE: need to regulate big business

• business established monopolies - increasing hostility to robber barons like Rockefeller and Carnegie, who seemed to put profit before people

• Demand for business regulation by the gov., especially trusts

AIMS: political

• women’s suffrage

• gov. regulation of the economy & businesses, on workers’ side

• direct election of senators

• getting rid of corrupt local officials

• party reform eg, whole electorate can choose the party’s candidate

AIMS: economic

• regulation of business

• more gov. control of banks & the stock market

• recognition of trade unions

• laws to provide consumer protection from adulterated food

• silver coinage to raise prices for farmers and reduce power of big business

AIMS: social

• female emancipation

• improving the lives of the poor

• prohibition

• reforms to help African Americans