Political Progressivism

1
Political Progressivism
2
Problems

• Political Corruption Political Machines
• Monopolies Sherman Anti Trust Act is ignored
• Shady work conditions exposed by muckrakers The
  Jungle, The Bitter Cry of the Children, Following
  the Color Line
• Pollution, loss of natural land Conservationism

3
Monopolies

• Roosevelts Square Deal control of corporations
  consumer protection, conservation of natural
  resources
• Interstate Commerce Commission created to
  regulate the building of railroads
• Attack on the Northern Securities Company (a
  holding company) by Roosevelt, dissolved the
  company
• Clayton AntiTrust Act took the ideas of the
  Sherman AntiTrust Act farther
• Trustbusting Presidents Taft, Roosevelt, Wilson
• Trusts ended US Steel, Standard Oil, Swift
  Meatpacking, American Tobacco Company

4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
Consumer/ Worker help

• Mary had a little lamb, and when she saw it
  sicken, She shipped it off to Packington and now
  its labeled chicken
• Pure Food and Drug Act
• Food and Drug Administration
• Florence Kelly helps create a minimum wage law

7
Political Machines

• Political machines such as Tammany Hall stuffed
  ballot boxes and faked elections.
• Robert M. (Fighting Bob) La Follette created a
  direct primary
• Referendum entire electorate votes directly on
  an issue
• Recall public official can be removed from
  office due to a direct vote
• Initiative a petition signed by a certain number
  of people can require that an issue be put on a
  ballot to be voted on
• 17th Amendment direct election of senators
• Pendleton Civil Service Act

8
Fighting Bob"America is not made, it is in the
making. Mere passive citizenship is not enough.
Men must be aggressive for what is right if
government is to be saved from those who are
aggressive for what is wrong."

• Created the Wisconsin idea which said that
  academics should help shape public policy
• Ousted many political machine bosses
• Created the direct primary in Wisconsin
• US Senator for over 20 years

9
Conservationism

• Teddy Roosevelt created enough public parks and
  national reserves to almost equal the size of the
  Louisiana Purchase.
• Desert Land Act of 1877 cheap land if the buyer
  will irrigate the land for three years
• Forest Reserve Act creates national parks
• This time period saw the creation of the Sierra
  Club and the Boy Scouts.