POLITICAL PROGRESSIVISM IN THE CITIES STATES Most cities

POLITICAL PROGRESSIVISM IN THE CITIES & STATES

Most cities formed Many cities used PROGRESSIVE REFORM IN THE CITIES committees to focus on “gas & water improving quality of life socialism” to control Political progressivism began in public utility costs Many mid-sized or to corrupt political cities in response Galveston, Texas was small cities hired a st city machines & deteriorating urban the 1 to use a city non-partisan city manager to oversee commission rather than conditions the city bureaucracy a mayor & city council “Good government” reformers created the National Municipal League in 1894 to find ways to make urban reforms were less democratic city. These governments less political & less but much more efficient & less corrupt partisan

PROGRESSIVE REFORM IN THE STATES Progressive reformers impacted state governments too: A New York corruption scandal linked politicians & utility suppliers leading the first state utilities regulatory board Most states created regulatory commissions to oversee state spending & initiate investigations

Allowed citizens. REFORM to create laws by petitioning PROGRESSIVE IN THE STATES to have an issue placed on a state ballot & Progressives make state allowing votershelped (not politicians) to decide governments more democratic: Western states were the 1 st to allow public initiatives, referendums, & recalls Passage of the 17 th amendment in Allowed citizensfor to vote on an issue (such 1912 allowed the direct election ofas tax. Senators increases) suggested by the state legislature By 1916, mostvoters states direct Allowed tohad directly remove an primarieselected to allow voters choose official by to popular vote candidates, not parties

TR called Wisconsin ACTION IN THE STATESthe “Laboratory of Democracy” Missouri, state Iowa, & The. California, most significant reform was Texas copied La Follette’s plan governor Robert La Follette’s “Wisconsin Idea”: Used academic “experts” from the University of Wisconsin to help research & write state bills Wisconsin was the 1 st state to use direct primary & income tax, create industrial commissions, set utility prices, & regulate RRs

Born into a wealthy family WHO WAS TEDDY ROOSEVELT? in NY. Sickly as a child but builds himself into a rugged individual Tragedy strikes and both his wife and his mother die on the same day. Travels the west to “rediscover” himself Attends Harvard and gets into politics.

THE REPUBLICAN ROOSEVELT The. TR president steward ofasthe thoughtisof“apresidency a actively & affirmatively Thepeople Mc. Kinley (1901) bullybound pulpitassassination to advocate his agenda to do all Roosevelt he can for thepresident: people” made Teddy Elihu of State TRRoot wastoan. Sec activist president who knew (district attorney NYC)opinion how to guide of public Gifford Pinchot as chief W. H. Taft to Sec of War Unlike most Gilded Age Republicans, conservationist (governor of Philippines) Roosevelt refused to ignore social inequalities He believed gov’t agencies should be run by experts

THE ANTHRACITE COAL STRIKE, 1902 In 1902, the United Mine Workers went on strike to demand higher pay & an eight-hour work day The anthracite coal strike lasted 11 months & threatened the nation as winter approached

TEDDY ROOSEVELT’S TR’s “Square Deal” is the “SQUARE inspiration. DEAL” for future presidents: FDR’s New Deal, Wilson’s New Freedom & Truman’s Fair Deal In an unprecedented move for a Gilded Age president, TR did not immediately side with the owners TR forced both sides to Arbitrate & threatened gov’t seizure of the coal mine The result was a “square deal” for both sides

TR THE TRUSTBUSTER? Northern Securities Company was giant RR holding company in part, TR saw the benefit of controlled, good trusts, but by JP Morgan, Rockefeller, JJ Hill wanted to control bad trusts: He pushed for the Dept of Commerce & Labor to investigate business misconduct In 1902, TR ordered the Justice Dept to charge the Northern Securities Co in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act; For the 1 st time, the Supreme Court ordered a monopoly broken up

TR accepted monopolies as a fact of life for 20 th century business but viewed regulation as the best way to tame trusts who use corrupt business practices

TR THE TRUSTBUSTER? TR was not always consistent: Initiated suits against beef trust, American Tobacco, Du. Pont, Standard Oil, & New Haven RR But he relied on business to gain rebustedsought 43 election. Taft in 1904; the advice of JP monopolies in 4 some yearsmonopolistic Morgan; allowed mergers The Roosevelt administration only “busted” 25 trusts in 7 years

TR was a popular president & won a landslide victory in 1904 “Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept another nomination”

REGULATING THE RAILROADS TR’s re-election agenda focused on business regulation: Hepburn Act (1906) increased the ICC’s power to set maximum RR rates & investigate RR company financial records The Food & Drug Act (1906) & Meat Inspection Act (1906) protected consumers

CONSERVING THE LAND TR created the 1 st comprehensive national conservation policy: TR defined “conservation” as wise use of natural resources Created the Reclamation Service to place natural resources (oil, trees, coal) under federal domain From 1901 to 1908, U. S. gov’t preserves grew from 45 million acres to 195 million acres

THE TAFT PRESIDENCY TR remained true to his promise not to run for a 3 rd term & helped pick William Howard Taft as the Republican nominee “I feel a bit like a fish out of for president water…I hate the limelight. ” Taft seemed ready to carry out TR’s political agenda

Taft backed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909) THE TAFT PRESIDENCY which angered progressive Republicans who wanted more foreign competition to force But, Taft was poorly equipped to monopolies to reduce their prices continue Roosevelt’s agenda: Taft These firedissues Pinchot, divided TR’sthe chief Republican conservationist Party Taft did the not. Ballinger-Pinchot trust&the gov’t to. Affair regulate intoafter progressive “Old Guard” factions opening the door for a Democrat in the business behavior 1912 presidential election He didn’t have the flair of TR; Taft was “too honest & sincere” Taft tended to side with conservative Republicans rather than progressive Republicans

All the work to create the 16 th & 17 th THE TAFT PRESIDENCY amendments was done under Taft, but neither was ratified while Taft was president Vindication for the. Taft helped Despite these set backs, push through Populists!! significant progressive legislation: 16 th Amendment was written; created a national income tax 17 th Amendment was written; direct election of U. S. Senators Safety codes for miners & RRs Created the Children’s Bureau

THE ELECTION OFa 1912 “I’m feeling like Bull Moose!” TR decided to run against Taft for the This further divided already Republican nomination in the 1912 but fragmented Republican Party conservative Republicans refused to nominate him over Taft TR was nominated to the new Progressive (Bull Moose) Party Democrats nominated former Princeton president & NJ governor Woodrow Wilson who ran as a progressive reformer

THE ELECTION OF 1912 The 1912 election was the most significant 4 -way election since 1860: TR’s New Nationalism WW’s New Freedom Lincoln (Republican), Stephen Democrat), U. S. needs Douglas a nat’l (Northern U. S. needs small John Breckenridge (Southern Democrat), approach to reform gov’t, free trade & John Bell (Constitutional-Union) & a strong president competition Social-justice Both plans saw reforms: protection the economy as of women, children, Eugene Debs (Socialist) the central issue, came in“good” a distant 4 th but Wilson workers; trusts to help growth distrusted federal Democrats not only won the presidency, but st to enlist women power & nat’l 1 also outright control of both House & Senate

"The laws of this country have not kept up with the change economic circumstances in this country; they have not kept up with the change of political circumstance. " WOODROW WILSON’S NEW FREEDOM

WOODROW WILSON'S NEW FREEDOM Wilson believed strong, 1% tax for all, inbut 2% foractivist the rich leadership & helped push through st efficient national banking system The 1 many “New Freedom” ideas: since Jackson destroyed the BUS in 1832 Underwood Tariff Act (1913) reduced tariffs & created the 1 st graduated income tax Federal Reserve Act (1913): the Federal Reserve regulates the economy by adjusting the money supply & interest rates

WOODROW WILSON'S NEW FREEDOM Federal Farm Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) banned Endorsed an 8 -hour Loan Act directorates day for all&workers interlocking held business officers personally liable for monopolies; Defended unions’ right Supported workers by allowing strikes & tohelped collectively bargain women’s suffrage banning injunctions As the 1916 elections neared, Wilson pushed for more social reforms…but U. S. involvement in WWI in 1917 distracted Americans from progressive reform

THE END OF PROGRESSIVE REFORM When World War I ended in 1919, the last of the progressive reforms were enacted: In 1919, the temperance movement gained a victory when the 18 th amendment & Volstead Act prohibited alcohol In 1920, women were rewarded for their WW 1 contribution with the right to vote (19 th amendment)

CONCLUSIONS: CONCLUSIONS THE FRUITS OF PROGRESSIVISM

THE FRUITS OF PROGRESSIVISM Progressive Urban reforms led to: & labor improvements Direct primaries & female voting More gov’t responsibility for social welfare Regulatory commissions Increased importance of interest groups & public opinion polls An “expert” bureaucracy A more powerful presidency

“We demand that big business give the people a square deal; in return we must insist that when anyone engaged in big business honestly endeavors to do right he shall himself be given a square deal. " -Theodore Roosevelt “IN ANY MOMENT OF DECISION, THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS THE RIGHT THING, THE NEXT BEST THING IS THE WRONG THING, AND THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS NOTHING. ” -THEODORE ROOSEVELT