Progressivism:Changing Relationship between Business and Government

Pressure to Regulate Business

• Problems• Child Injuries• Wealth Gap• Low Wages• Unfair Business

Practices• Corruption• Health and Sanitary

Conditions

Pressures on the System

Third Parties• The growth of the

People’s Party (Populist), and the Progressive (Bull Moose), and Socialists took votes away from the major parties

• Major parties started adopting positions of the Progressives to attract voters

Labor Unions• Strikes disrupt the

economy• What to do with unskilled

workers and immigrants• Child Laborers• Farmers / The Grange• Unpopularity of using

federal troops to break strikes

Pressures on the System

Urbanization• Overcrowding• Widespread Poverty• Anti-immigrant Feelings• Sanitation• Need for infrastructure

and basic necessities

Corruption• Widespread Corruption• Influence of the elite• Party

Machines/Patronage• Laissez-Faire Policies

that empower the richest of society

Pressures on the System

Muckrakers• Stories placed public

pressure on the government to make changes

• Stories focused on• Corruption• Public Health• Sanitation• Greed• Business Practices

Beginning of Government Reforms

Reforms

Child Labor Act of 1916

Meat Inspection

Act

Pure Food and Drug

Act

Interstate Commerce

Act

Sherman Anti-Trust

Act

Clayton Anti-Trust

Act

Organic Act of 1916

Reforms

• Populist Reforms (meaning that they benefitted the main population or the common people) were targeted at restricting the power of industries and corporations.

Activities

• Government took on the role of police officer or administrator

instead of friend and ally.• Time to research!

• Find the information about each of the presidents, acts, and

agencies who reformed America.