1. Progressive Era - period from 1898 to 1917 when reformers won many changes to improve American life.
* Progressives believed that the public interest should guide all government actions.

2. Graphic Organizer: Progressive Political Reforms
Objective: To examine the major political reforms of the Progressive Era.
Graphic Organizer: Progressive Political Reforms
Party leaders pick candidates for state and local offices
Voters select their party’s candidates
PRIMARY
Only members of state legislatures can introduce bills
Voters can propose bills to the legislature
INITIATIVE
Only legislators pass laws
Voters can vote on bills directly
REFERENDUM
Only courts or legislature can remove corrupt officials
Voters can remove elected officials from office
RECALL

3. Party leaders pick candidates for state and local offices
1) How have primary elections changed over time?
2) How does the recall give more power to voters?
3) What responsibilities does a citizen have when voting on a referendum?
4) If you could propose a bill to the County Legislature through the use of an initiative, what would it be?
Party leaders pick candidates for state and local offices
Voters select their party’s candidates
PRIMARY
Only members of state legislatures can introduce bills
Voters can propose bills to the legislature
INITIATIVE
Only legislators pass laws
Voters can vote on bills directly
REFERENDUM
Only courts or legislature can remove corrupt officials
Voters can remove elected officials from office
RECALL

4. REFORMERS IN OFFICE
The Wisconsin Idea
“Battling Bob” La Follette – governor of Wisconsin that introduced many new reforms in his state
Examples:
lower railroad rates
primary elections
* Other states began to copy La Follette’s reforms.

5. Political Reforms
Primaries were adopted nationwide in which voters could choose their party’s candidate from among several people

7. Political Reforms
Initiatives gave voters the right to put a bill directly before the state legislature

8. Political Reforms
Referendums gave voters the power to make a bill become law

9. Political Reforms
Recalls allow voters to remove an elected official from office

11. Political Reforms
16th Amendment (1913) – gave Congress the power to impose an income tax

12. Political Reforms
Before 1917, U.S. Senators were chosen by the state legislatures, NOT by the voters.
17th Amendment (1913) – gave voters the right to directly elect U.S. Senators

13. Taming the Spoils System
Spoils System – practice of rewarding supporters with government jobs
"The Civil Service As It Is" February 3, 1872
by, Frank Bellew
Caption: "The Civil Service As It Is" Hon. Member of Congress presenting a Few of his Constituents for Office

14. Patronage – practice of giving out government jobs as favors to loyal party workers
Patronage oftentimes led to corruption.
Examples: · Jobs were frequently given to unqualified people.
I’ve got to thank Uncle Billy for getting me this cool job. Well…a little joke never hurt anyone, right?

15. · Officeholders stole public money.

16. President James Garfield attempted to reform the spoils system.

19. ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ARRESTED IN OBAMA SUCCESSOR PROBE
December 9, 2008
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ARRESTED IN OBAMA SUCCESSOR PROBE
RELEASED AFTER COURT APPEARANCE
CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on Tuesday on charges he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder in what a federal prosecutor called a "corruption crime spree."

20. Garfield believed that civil service jobs should be given to people based on merit and ability, not political connections.

21. An angry office seeker assassinated Garfield before he could reform the system.

22. Chester A. Arthur becomes president – worked to reform spoils system
Congress passes the Pendleton Act – This act created the Civil Service Commission – Now all civil service jobs (government jobs) require exams

24. Department of Civil Service
· Civil Service Commission (1883) - began to award jobs based on the results of an exam.
Department of Civil Service

25. NEXT STEP – REGULATING BIG BUSINESS

26. “Congress—Who’s In It and Who Owns It”; by Jacob Burck

27. · Interstate Commerce Act (1887)
- required the publishing of railroad shipping rates
- banned pools and rebates, which were special discounts to favored customers
- The act also created the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in order to try to regulate the railroad industry.
The ICC was charged with investigating and hearing complaints about unfair business practices.

28. · Sherman Antitrust Act (1888)
- Prohibited trusts and the unfair limiting of competition, such as monopolies.