Principles of Progressive movement

What did all progressives believe? Industrialization and Urbanization had caused

the problems in AmericaGovernment need to be fixed before it could/would fix any problems.

Technology and Science could help improve the lives of Americans

Big Business would not fix the problems in America.

Laissez affair economics

Governments Hands-Off economic policy. Gov. did not interfere or regulate

business in America. Caused Big Business to dominate and control the

government and society.

What do all Progressives believe

Big Bus. Industrialization and poorly managed cities created most of the

problems in America

Government is corrupted and must be fixed before progress can be made.

Science and Technology can help provide solutions

Define muckrakers

Crusading journalists who investigated social conditions and political

corruption

This incident exposed unsafe working conditions in factories in New York and

inspired many changes in safety regulations

the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire

Commission Plan

Making government more efficient, took cities out of the hands of political

machines and appointed “Experts” to run cities.

What was the commission plan meant to fix ?

Corrupt inefficient city governments.

The commission plan put experts in charge of city departments instead of political friends of the mayor and party

members. Reforms Gov.

Direct Primary

installed a system by which the people elected those that ran for office, not the

political parties.

( reformed government more representation of the people, less

influence of B.B. and Political Parties)

17th Amendment

Direct Election of Senators

Reforms Government

Prohibition of Alcohol

Social Issue, & Political Issue 18th Amendment, Promoted by the Women’s Christian’s Temperance Movement and

supported by Big Business.

The 19th Amendment

Gave women the right to vote. Passed in 1920. Political reform.

More voice in Government.

16th Amendment

Wilson. Gave the Federal Gov. the authority to create an income tax and

directly tax the citizens of the U.S.

(this right had previously been the exclusive right of each state.)

Interstate Commerce Commission

Created by Roosevelt to set railroad rates and ensure fair practices by the

railroad industry. (Controlled Big Business)

The Children’s Bureau

Taft Reform; Intended to report and publish Child Labor practices.

Muckraking. (Social Issue)

Northern Securities

J.P. Morgan’s Railroad trusts. TR sued and won. Broke up this trust to

demonstrate Gov. has more power than Big Business, allowing TR to regulate

Trusts

Gentlemen’s Agreement:

TR Reformed the power of Big Business. After successfully suing JP Morgan’s

Northern Securities other trusts agree to allow the gov. to inspect their business

practices. (Bureau of Corp.)

Upton Sinclair The Jungle

Muckraker who wrote about the Meat Packing industry: caused TR to pass

Meat

Inspection Act

Arbitration

TR wanted to be the 3rd party in conflicts between competing interests like

labor and Big Business. He settled the Coal strike of 1902

Split between Taft and TR

TR ran against Taft in 1912 because Taft did not uphold his policies. Taft broke up

more trusts and lowered tariffs.

Bureau of Corp

TR’s agency. Created after suing Northern Securities to inspect and regulate big

business practices.

1914 Federal Trade Commission(FTC)

Had the authority to shut down companies that practiced “unfair trade practices” in reality it’s more like TR’s, “Gentlemen’s

Agreement”

Wilson’s New Freedom

Underwood Tariff Act

Reduced tariffs on incoming goods from as high as 60% down to 30%

Wilson hoped foreign competition would make U.S. businesses more competitive

and reduce consumer prices.

Wilson’s New Freedom

Federal Reserve Act

Set a side cash from all banks to prevent regional banks from failing.

Board of Governors controls Interest rates.

(control of interest rates moves from banking trusts to the government

regulators.)

Clayton Antitrust Act

eliminated price fixing deals between suppliers and sellers

gave unions the legal right to exist.

Wilson’s New Freedom

Mann-Elkins Act

Taft’s Act continues to strengthen ICC railroad controls.

Reasons Progressives turn against Taft.

Payne-Aldridge Act did not reduce Tariffs enough

He supported the sale of lands to private syndicates.

Failures of Progressive movement

Progressives failed to make any progress on racial segregation, violence and discrimination in America. Issues.