Accomplishments Accomplishments of the of the

ProgressivesProgressives

To Improve Democracy and break To Improve Democracy and break the power of the political the power of the political

machinesmachines

• Secret Ballot• Initiative, Referendum, Recall• New styles of city governments

– City manager style – hire “manager”– Commission style – board of commissioners

• 17th Amendment – direct election of US Senators

• 19th Amendment – Women’s right to vote

To break the power of monopolies To break the power of monopolies and restore competitionand restore competition

TRUSTBUSTINGTRUSTBUSTING• Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)

– Strengthened Sherman Anti-Trust Act– Labor unions and farm cooperatives

were exempt from anti-trust actions• Federal Trade Commission Act

(1914)– Created regulatory agency to

investigate and take action against unfair trade practices

To provide consumer To provide consumer protectionprotection

• Meat Inspection Act– Federal inspectors in meatpacking

plants to ensure they met minimum standards of sanitation

• Pure Food & Drug Act– Prohibited manufacture, sale, and

transportation of adulterated or mislabeled foods and drugs

To promote conservation of To promote conservation of natural resourcesnatural resources

• Forest Reserve Act– TR set aside 150 million acres of federal

land as a national reserve, not to be sold to private interests

• Newlands Reclamation Act– Irrigation projects in western states

• National Conservation Commission– Promote conservation by state

governments → State Parks

To improve the quality of To improve the quality of life for people of the U.S.life for people of the U.S.

• Child Labor laws• Better schools

– Free kindergarten, night schools

• Safety in the workplace– Fire safety (TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY

FIRE 1911;video), limit hours, minimum wage, workers’ compensation

• Prohibition – 18th Amendment• TR’s “Square Deal” for labor

– 1902 Coal miners strike – TR threatened to use federal troops against owners

To restore conditions of free To restore conditions of free and fair competition in the and fair competition in the

economyeconomy• Underwood Tariff (1913) lowered

tariff for 1st time in 50 years• Federal Reserve Act (1914) –

created national banking system with 12 district banks supervised by a Federal Reserve Board – issue currency, adjust interest rates and reserve ratios for member banks

The Election of 1912The Election of 1912

Republican Party Candidate Republican Party Candidate William Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft

• More conservative approach to Progressive reform

• Actually broke up more trusts than TR did

• Defended an Defended an increased tariff in the increased tariff in the Payne-Aldrich TariffPayne-Aldrich Tariff

• His Sec. of the Interior His Sec. of the Interior Ballinger opened Ballinger opened public lands in Alaska public lands in Alaska for for privateprivate developmentdevelopment

Democratic Party Candidate Democratic Party Candidate Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson

• Former President of Princeton University

• Governor of New Jersey

• Promised a “New Promised a “New Freedom” which would Freedom” which would limit big business and limit big business and big government, bring big government, bring reform by ending reform by ending corruption and revive corruption and revive competition by competition by supporting small supporting small businessbusiness

Progressive “Bull Moose” Party Progressive “Bull Moose” Party CandidateCandidate

Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt• Former President• Promised a “New Promised a “New

Nationalism” with Nationalism” with more government more government regulation of business regulation of business & unions, women’s & unions, women’s suffrage, and more suffrage, and more social welfare social welfare programs- strong programs- strong federal government federal government regulations helping regulations helping the peoplethe people

Socialist Party CandidateSocialist Party CandidateEugene DebsEugene Debs

• Believed that capitalism should be replaced with socialism

• Ideas were Ideas were considered too considered too radical for U.S.radical for U.S.

Results Results

Importance of the Election of Importance of the Election of 19121912

• Presence of “third party” effected outcome of race

• TR ran the role of “spoiler” (If TR couldn’t win, neither would Taft)

• Split in Republican party enabled Democratic candidate to win

Lasting Effects of Progressive Lasting Effects of Progressive EraEra

• Government was responsible for people’s well-being

• We could meet problems of urbanization and industrialization

• Belief that a President should be a strong and effective national leader (TR – stewardship theory)