1. Political Reforms in the Cities & States

2. Voter Participation Democracy was cornerstone of Progressive Movement
If given the chance, voters would elect honest officials
Advocated for a number of voter reforms:
Secret Ballots- voters required to mark their choices in a private booth; adopted by all states in 1910
Direct Primaries- nominating conventions used to be dominate by political bosses; Gov. of Wisconsin Robert La Follette introduced the direct primary (voters nominated who they wanted to run for office)
Weren’t that effective in overthrowing boss rule; Southerners used white-only primaries to keep African Americans from voting

3. Voter Participation Other voter reforms:
Direct Primaries- U.S. senators were traditionally chosen by state legislatures rather than direct vote; Progressives believe this is why the Senate was dominated by big business, political machines
Nevada first state to adopt direct primary, 17th Amendment in 1913 required all senators to be elected by popular vote
Initiative- voters compel legislatures to consider a bill
Referendum- citizens can vote on proposed laws printed on their ballots
Recall- voters could remove a corrupt/unsatisfactory politician from office

4. Municipal Reform
City bosses and their corrupt alliances with local businesses were the first target of the Progressives
Wanted to take the utilities out of the hands of private companies
1915: 2/3 of the nation’s cities owned their own water systems
Many cities also came to own and operate gas lines, electric power plants, and urban transportation systems

5. Municipal Reform
Commission plan of governments- voters elected the heads of city departments, not just the mayor
Another effective reform was where an elected city council would hire expert managers to direct a city department

6. State Level Reform
Reform governors battled corporate interests; championed voter reforms, tax reforms, and state regulatory commissions
Urban and rural reformers were split on the issue of temperance and prohibition
Urban progressives more worried about political machines, rural progressives thought politics could be cleaned up by prohibition
Urban life was also improved by social welfare, ideas of social justice
Settlement workers lobbied politicians for better schools, juvenile courts, safety regulations for the workplace, prison reform

7. Child and Women Labor
Progressives most outraged by treatment of children in industry
National Child Labor Committee proposed laws that were passed by 2/3 of states by 1907
State compulsory attendance laws were most effective in keeping children out of factories and mines

8. Child and Women Labor
Legal and political reforms to protect women from long working hours
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911) in a high-rise garment factory claimed 146 lives, mostly women
Tragedy sparked greater activism among women and motivated states to pass laws to improve safety, working conditions in factories
Unforeseen consequence is that women were kept out of physically demanding, but higher paying jobs

9. ?
List and briefly explain the four major voter reforms Progressives advocated for.
What were some municipal reforms Progressives achieved during this time?
What did settlement workers lobby politicians for?
What were Progressives most outraged by? What was most successful in resolving this issue?
What was the significance of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire?