Progressive Legislation

1. Progressive Legislation Chapter 11, Section 2

2. Triangle Shirtwaist Fire • Describe this event? • Why is it significant in history?

3. An expanded role for government • Most Progressives opposed government control of business, except when the business supplied essential services (water, electricity = ?) • Progressives believed that government should increase its responsibility for the welfare (well being) of people: • 1. addition of social welfare programs (programs to ensure a minimum standard of living. • 2. unemployment, health insurance, social security for the disabled and elderly • 3. the government should rely on scientists and experts to plan efficient programs

4. Municipal Reforms • Municipal is the city level of government • Most early reforms were made at this level; grass roots? • Pushed for home rule (the ability of localities to make decisions without state or federal involvement) • Reformers worked hard to get rid of corruption

5. New forms of municipal reform • Galveston Model: after a devastating storm hit this town in Texas the leaders of the town formed a 5 person council to oversee the rebuilding. The rebuilding was handled so efficiently that the city replaced their mayor with the 5 person council and this served as a model for other cities • After a major flood, Dayton, Ohio adopted a mayor/council form of government. This allowed for a mayor (executive branch) and a council (representative branch) to lead the city and give more power to the people • Cities lobbied for city control of utilities like water, gas and electricity so that they could get rid of corrupt private companies; by 1915 2/3 of cities controlled their own utilities

6. Providing welfare services • Pingree (mayor of Detroit) worked to provide public baths, public parks, and a work relief program in his city • The mayor of Toledo opened playgrounds, free kindergartens and lodging houses for the homeless • These progressives felt that if social conditions were good, all people would be good citizens (is this naïve? Why?)

7. More power to voters • Direct primary: voters pick the candidates instead of the party picking them • Initiative: citizens can put a proposed new law on the ballot and pass it • Referendum: a process that allows citizens to approve or reject a law passed by the legislature • Recall: permits voters to remove public officials from office before the next election • **Do these apply at all levels of government? • *** How do they give the people more power?

8. Reforms in the workplace • Some states established labor boards to deal with complaints about working conditions • Other states developed workers’ accident insurance and compensation systems • Businesses challenged the governments’ rights to regulate them and complained about the constitutionality of such actions • The courts generally sided with the businesses but did say that if an issue could be shown to protect workers’ health (why? Life, Liberty and….) then they could uphold reforms • Using scientific evidence in 1908, Mueller v. Oregon, argued to the courts that women’s working hours should be limited to 10 hours a day because longer hours harmed their health • By 1907, nearly 2/3 of states had abolished labor for children under 14 and minimum wage laws for women and children made progress

9. Theodore Roosevelt’s “Square Deal” • TR forced mine workers and owners into arbitration (?) during a strike because he feared the nation would face winter without coal; the miners got a 10% raise and went from a 10 hour to 9 hour workday; TR called it a “square deal” for both sides • The mine owners still refused to recognize the union • “Square Deal” became a slogan for TR’s presidency

10. Antitrust activism • The government started to enforce the Sherman Antitrust Law. • They started targeting holding companies (a company that buys up stocks of smaller companies and by doing so, can create a monopoly) • The Roosevelt Administration filed 42 cases of businesses in violation of the antitrust laws • TR was not anti-business but he believed it was the responsibility of the government to protect consumers

11. Railroad regulation • TR won passage of the 1906 Hepburn Act which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) more authority over the railroads and strong law enforcement powers • The law allowed the ICC to set and limit railroad rates. The ICC became the first regulatory agency (?)

12. Protecting Public health • Although TR initially denounced the muckrakers (?) he eventually appreciated them as more and more of them exposed horrible conditions in the nation • After TR read “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair he promoted legislation that would protect consumers • The Pure Food and Drug Act and The Meat Inspection Act were passed to require labeling of ingredients, strict sanitary conditions and a grading system for meats • ***Watch video on “The Jungle”

13. New Labor Department • In 1912 the government established a Children’s Bureau • In 1913 a cabinet position was added, the Department of Labor • In 1920 the Women’s Bureau was added • ***the new bureaus focused on labor laws that would benefit women and children

14. Protecting the Environment • Congress established Yellowstone as the nation’s first national park in 1872 • Yosemite National Park was created in 1890 • T. Roosevelt set aside more than 200 million acres of land for national forests, mineral reserves, and water projects (he was known for his involvement in conservation) • The National Reclamation Act was passed in 1902 and that used money from the sale of public lands to build irrigation systems in arid states

15. New Constitutional Amendments • The 16th Amendment: 1913 authorized the Congress to collect federal income taxes (why did we need more money? What were we planning for?) • The 17th Amendment: 1913 allowed for direct election of Senators (how were they chosen before? • The 18th Amendment: 1919 banned the sale, production and import of all alcoholic beverages.