How effective were progressive reformers during the progressive era?
The Progressive Era (although progressivism’s roots went as far back as 1870s with the Greenback Labor Party and the Populists in the 1890s) was from the turn of the twentieth century until 1920 (following WWI and Woodrow Wilson’s presidency). The Progressive Era was extremely effective in: Political: Regaining the power of the people in government, a power that had been lost in the corrupt policies of the Guided Era. ~ Direct primary elections, the “initiative”, the “referendum”, the “recall”, corrupt-practice acts (eliminate graft), limit the amount of money a candidate could spend on election, Australian ballot, direct election of US senators (17th Amendment), and two (TR and WW) of America’s best presidents (with the most reforms of any other presidents up to their time) Economic: TR’s Square Deal for Labor (control of corporations, consumer protection, conservation of natural resources), Pennsylvania coal strike (first time government used power to side with unions), “Trustbusting
