The American progressive reform movement focused on social and governmental change, including fair wages, safe working conditions, civil service reform, consumer protection, voting rights, and city government restructuring. The movement sought to end political corruption, regulate the market, and enforce basic human rights. The movement was led by a close-knit group of individuals who organized politically in 1912 and 1924. The Pendleton Act regulated the recruitment of the federal civil service, while the Clayton Antitrust Act and the Federal Trade Act protected the public from unsafe food manufacturing practices and trade monopolies. The Seventeenth Amendment provided for direct election of US Senators by the people of each state. The initiative, referendum, and recall enabled direct public participation in government, while the 19th Amendment guaranteed women’s suffrage. City government run by professionals was another popular reform.
Many of the best examples of progressive reform center on how citizens interact with their government. The phrase “progressive reform” is predominantly American and arose in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Early examples include rules governing how citizens can be employed as civil servants and laws establishing government oversight of consumer protection against fraud, defective products, and harmful food. A number of voting rights issues also fall under the reform banner, particularly regarding the electoral process of senators and congressional leaders and voting rights more generally. Local laws and city government structural issues may also be included. The movement generally sought to end political corruption, regulate the market, and enforce basic human rights.
Organization
American progressive reform was led by a close-knit group of individuals who focused on social and governmental change. They organized politically in 1912 to support Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party ticket and again in 1924 to push the independent presidential bid of Robert LaFollette. The concerns of progressive advocates varied widely, but the reform movement primarily focused on social issues related to fair wages and safe working conditions. Legislation banning child labour, limits on working hours, and a minimum wage for working women were important national issues of the time. Both progressive candidates failed to win elections, at least initially, but many laws were passed nonetheless to address the social ills the movement opposed.
Entering the civil service
In 1883, the federal government passed the Pendleton Act to regulate the recruitment of the federal civil service. Before this act was passed, federal positions were filled with the ruling political party, and the victorious party typically looked forward to hiring supporters. Friends and relatives also expected high-paying new jobs. The new rules meant that the most influential jobs would be open to the best candidates, regardless of their connections.
Specifically, the Pendleton Act required prospective federal employees to provide proof of their job-related qualifications. Competitive scores on standardized exams were also enforced, and a Federal Civil Service Commission was established to enforce the statutory provisions. Provisions were later added to prohibit the demotion or firing of federal employees based on political beliefs.
Consumer protection
The Clayton Antitrust Act and the Federal Trade Act, which prohibited trade monopolies and protected the public from unsafe food manufacturing practices, were both passed in 1914. They outlawed price-fixing by large corporations, which it believed would have a negative impact on the market. Artificially low prices tend to crowd out small businesses and minimize competition. Once competition was eliminated, however, higher prices were usually restored by large producers, leaving consumers with limited product choice. Members of the reform movement have sought to end these practices as a matter of fairness and general consumer protection.
These laws also gave the Federal Trade Commission a duty to protect the public from business fraud and to institute regulations to protect consumers. The Commission is a government agency dedicated to monitoring and enforcing standards, laws and best business practices. While these laws didn’t completely eliminate all risk in the marketplace, they made it much more difficult for companies to sell substandard products, harmful foods, and misleadingly labeled goods.
Senatorial election and selection
Corruption in congressional elections has also worried many reformists and has led to arguments for more transparent direct elections. The Constitution provided for the state legislature to appoint national senators, but cases of corruption and contested elections seemed to face the United States Senate after every election cycle. Oregon progressives led the nation in 1907 selecting Oregon’s US Senator through a direct election, and the Seventeenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which was ratified in 1913, provided for direct election of US Senators by the people of each state.
Voting problems
Local and state reform movements were also very successful in enacting legal changes during the height of the Progressive Era. The initiative, referendum and recall, for example, have been instrumental in enabling direct public participation in government. Political innovations such as the secret ballot and direct primaries also have their roots in this era. These and similar reforms involved direct voter involvement and were in most cases motivated by a desire to stamp out what many saw as rampant political corruption. In the days before Progressive Reform, corruption flourished under the ward voting system in which party bosses courted the favors of candidates in exchange for support.
The 19th Amendment of 1920 guaranteeing women’s suffrage was another major progressive reform that gained national support. Wyoming was the only state that allowed women to vote in 1890, and Utah, Idaho, and Colorado passed women’s suffrage laws in 1900. A national progressive movement was required to raise two-thirds to send the national constitutional amendment. of the votes required in the United States Congress by the states for ratification.
Structuring city governments
City government run by professionals, including a commissioner and manager, was another popular reform. Trained professionals owed no allegiance to an electoral machine and could make unpopular changes based on sound business practices. Galveston, Texas stands out as a progressive municipality that has passed a significant number of reforms since 1900, including the transfer of local operations to a city manager.
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