The Progressive Era (Part 2)

1
The Progressive Era(Part 2)
2
The Search for Order and Efficiency

• Impose order on a chaotic society
• Search for greater efficiency in business
• Drive for honest, efficient, non-partisan
  government

3
The Gospel of Efficiency

• Frederick W. Taylor the first efficiency expert
• Hoped to reduce waste by scientifically studying
  jobs
• Time-motion studies
• Efficient layout of workplace could reduce
• Lost time
• Errors
• Injuries
• Hoped pay incentives tied to productivity would
  encourage workers to exceed average
• Very effective in rigid, standardized jobs
• Workers hated it

4
Efficiency in Government

• The Good Government Movement
• Goals
• End political corruption
• Bring efficient, business-like methods to
  government
• Create a more compassionate legislative response
  to the excesses of industrialism

5
The Good Government MovementLocal Level

• Blamed most of the urban problems on the
  machine
• Sought to make city management
• Non-partisan, even non-political
• Wanted to introduce administrative techniques
  developed by big business
• Different organizational plans
• Strong mayor
• Board of Commissioners style
• City manager style
• Another approach was to reform the policies, not
  the political structure
• Usually emphasized efficiency and social welfare
• Typically pushed for municipal ownership of
  utilities
• Typically set work rules for government jobs
• Typically pushed for public works (parks, etc)

6
The Democratization of Government(State Level)

• Initiative -
• Voters can place items on ballot
• Referendum -
• Allows voters, rather than legislature, to decide
  issues
• Recall -
• Allows removal of elected reps. w/o waiting for
  next election
• Direct primaries
• Allows voters to select candidates (as opposed to
  convention system)

7
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883)

• President to create a 3 person commission
• Commission to establish standards for federal
  jobs
• Instituted competitive examinations for
  candidates
• Barred political candidates from soliciting
  contributions from government employees
• Didnt get rid of patronage, but public service
  did improve

8
Munn v. Illinois (1876)

• Established theory that private property can
  become clothed in the public interest
• Established three key principles
• Right of government to regulate any business w/ a
  public interest
• Right of legislature to decide what is fair and
  reasonable
• Right of states to act when Congress wont

9
Wabash v. Illinois(1886)

• Limited the states right to regulate that had
  been granted in Munn
• A state could only regulate traffic within its
  boundaries
• Could not regulate traffic that crossed state
  lines
• 75 of traffic crossed state lines
• Public outrage led to creation of ICC in 1887
• Its power limited, the ICC was far less powerful
  than the big railroads
• Railroads could manipulate the system and set
  rates at will, the ICC was irrelevant

10
The Progressive Presidents

• Theodore Roosevelt
• 1901-1908
• Republican
• William H. Taft
• 1908-1912
• Republican
• Woodrow Wilson
• 1912-1920
• Democrat

11
Roosevelt as President the quintessential
progressive politician

• Viewed the presidency as the Bully Pulpit
• A platform to exhort Americans to reform their
  society
• Believed educated wealthy Americans had a duty
  to serve, guide, and inspire the less fortunate
• Openly acknowledged economic and social
  inequalities
• Believed government agencies, led by experts,
  could find solutions to societys problems

12
The 1912 Presidential Election

• Evincing the strength of the progressive ideals,
  all four candidates ran as progressives
• Republican Party Taft
• Democratic Party Wilson
• Progressive Party Roosevelt
• Socialist Party - Debs

13
The Presidential Election of 1912

• Republican Party
• William Howard Taft
• (Incumbent)
• Graduated income tax
• Safety codes for
• Mines
• Railroads
• Restrictions on child labor

14
The Presidential Election of 1912

• Democratic Party
• Woodrow Wilson
• Saw Roosevelt as main challenge
• Claimed they were the true progressives
• States rights
• Small government
• Ambiguous reform proposals (equality of economic
  oppprtunity)

15
The Presidential Election of 1912

• Progressive Party(a.k.a. Bull Moose party)
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Women's suffrage
• Eight hour day
• End child labor
• Min. wage for women
• Stricter regulation of large corporations

16
The Presidential Election of 1912

• Socialist Party
• Eugene V. Debs
• A radical choice
• Abolish the system that oppresses workers
• Tear up privilege by the roots
• Took credit for pushing Roosevelt Wilson to the
  left

17
Wilsons Progressive Reforms

• Underwood-Simmons Act (1913)
• Federal Reserve Act (1913)
• Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)
• Federal Trade Act (1914)
• Federal Highways Act (1916)

18
The Progressive Movement -A Summary

• Traces its roots to the 1820s-30s
• Became a major political force after the WBTS
• Reached its peak under Wilson
• Greatly expanded the power and presence of the
  Federal Government
• Firmly established the public service concept of
  government