1. Political Reforms and Reformers BY: Anabel Coronado Kristina Bedoya Victoria Castells Jenny Estefan

2. In a time not very far, far away, there were “political machines” and corrupt officials who cared more about their pockets than the People. An epic battle between the forces of good (reformers) and the forces of evil (the “machine bosses”, trusts, etc. ) ensued. During the Progressive Movement, a few courageous men AND women fought this corrupt system and produced lasting effects that can still be seen to this day!

3. WHO WERE THE REFORMERS? Reformers were mainly men and women of the middle class They were feeling pressured by huge corporations, the multitude of immigrants and aggressive labor unions

4. GOALS Use state power to curb trusts Root out graft Eliminate the socialist threat by improving the conditions of life and labor for the common person

5. MAIN AND FOREMOST OBJECTIVE 1.Regain the power that had slipped from the hands of the people into those of 'interests'.

6. WHAT REFORMS DID THEY WANT? 1.Direct primary elections of Senators It would undermine powerful machine bosses who would “buy” and control the state legislatures which at the time, elected the senators 2.The “Initiative” Voters could propose legislation themselves and this avoided the boss-controlled state-legislatures 3.The ‘Referendum’ It would place laws on ballots for final approval by the people The People now had the power against laws that had been passed by corrupt politicians who had been bought by the powerful bosses 4.The “Recall” It permitted voters to remove disloyal elected officials, especially those who’d been bribed by “bosses.”

7. RESULTS OF REFORMS Many state legislatives passed corrupt practices acts Theses acts limited the amount of money that candidates could spend for their election. Acts like those limited huge gifts from corporations, because donors would expect special favors in return. The 17th Amendment to the Constitution is passed in 1913 It established the direct election of U.S. senators. Bribery was reduced because “bribers couldn’t tell if they were getting their money’s worth from the bribed”

8. RESULTS OF REFORM (CON.’T) Women’s Suffrage Many states, especially the liberal ones in the West, gradually extended the vote to women although women all over the country didn’t gain the vote until 1920 with the passage of the nineteenth amendment. Women were starting to be recognized as a possible asset as a vote to those who wanted to be elected to office