The Progressive Movement 1890-1920 - Expanding Democracy

ASU HST 200 (Historical Themes) The Progressive Movement 1890-1920 Expanding Democracy One of the key tenets that Progressives held to be crucial to the growth and welfare of the country was the notion of an idealized democracy. To put it plainly, they thought that Americans need to have more say in how their country is run. They believed that this move would ultimately lead to a government better suited to meet the needs of its citizens. Three state-level laws were passed by Grassroots Progressives in order to further their direct democracy program. The first law guided the creation of the direct primary. Previously, convention delegates were the only people involved in selecting candidates for elections. In direct primaries, party members may cast direct ballots for their preferred candidate; the individual with the most votes would be the nominee. This was the first primary election in the current system, which is held before the general election. This system was introduced for state-wide elections in 1896 by South Carolina; in 1901, Florida became the first state to use a direct primary for presidential selections. At the moment, this method is used in seventy-five states in the US. To counter the power of special interests in state legislatures and restore the democratic political process, Progressives also proposed three electoral innovations: the initiative, referendum, and recall. In the first, people might petition for a proposal or initiative to be placed on the ballot and become legislation. In 1898, South Dakota became the first state to allow initiatives to be placed on ballots. By 1920, twenty states had adopted the procedure. The second innovation allowed individuals to override legislation by putting an existing law on the ballot for voters to accept or reject. As of right present, initiative and referendum legislation are allowed in 24 states. The third item on this agenda for direct democracy was the recall. A recall permitted people to remove a prominent figure from office by a petition and vote, much like an initiative or referendum. It was not as well-liked as the others, but in 1910 Oregon became the first state to allow recalls. By 1920, this tool had been utilized in twelve states. It has only been used successfully on a state level a few occasions, including in the removals of the governors of California in 2003 and North Dakota in 1921. Progressives also supported democratic reforms that affected the federal government. In an effort to secure a more fair representation of state residents in the U.S. Congress, they ran campaigns to enact the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which mandated the direct election of U.S. senators. The Seventeenth Amendment replaced the previous system, in which senators were chosen by state legislatures. William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic presidential candidate in 1896 who greatly profited from the Populist Party's support, was one of the well-known Progressives who backed this cause. The Progressive Movement, which took place between 1890 and 1920, was motivated by the strong conviction that democracy should be expanded and that common people should have more influence over national policy. Progressives thought that the government could better fulfill the demands of its people by boosting democratic engagement. They pushed for a number of significant provincial and federal reforms in order to realize this goal. Grassroots Progressives pushed for the adoption of direct democracy policies at the state level. One such move was the adoption of the direct primary, which gave party members the option to vote for the candidates of their choice directly, rather than relying only on convention delegates to make the decision. This was the method that South Carolina had implemented for statewide elections in 1896, and Florida had adopted it for presidential choices in 1901. Currently, 75 states in the United States use direct primaries. The initiative, referendum, and recall are three electoral reforms that Progressives suggested to fight the power of special interests in state legislatures. Through the initiative, anyone might petition to have suggestions put on the ballot as laws. The first state to enact this law was South Dakota in 1898, and by 1920, twenty more states had done the same. Voters might use ballot measures to approve or reject legislation that were already in place; as of right now, 24 states permit this kind of voting. Even though it was less common, the recall allowed elected officials to be removed by vote and petition. Recalls were first used in Oregon in 1910, and by 1920, twelve states had adopted the policy. Recalls have been utilized effectively at the state level, as seen by the removal of the governors of North Dakota in 1921 and California in 2003. In order to guarantee that state citizens were fairly represented in Congress, progressives also worked to change the federal government. They ran campaigns in support of the United States Constitution's Seventeenth Amendment, which replaced the prior system of state legislature selection with direct election of U.S. senators. With the help of the Populist Party, William Jennings Bryan, a well-known Progressive and Democratic presidential contender in 1896, backed this cause. All things considered, the Progressive Movement was defined by a dedication to democratic principles and the inclusion of common people in the political process. Progressives sought to establish a more responsive and representative government that served the interests of the people through measures including direct primaries, the initiative, referendum, recall, and the Seventeenth Amendment. These changes shaped the political climate of the country for years to come and established the groundwork for contemporary democratic processes in the US.