Pros And Cons Of Progressives

Progressives such as William U'Ren and Robert La Follette argued that the average citizen should have more control over his government. The Oregon System of "Initiative, Referendum, and Recall" was exported to many states, including Idaho, Washington, and Wisconsin. Many progressives, such as George M. Forbes president of Rochester's Board of Education hoped to make government in the U.S. more responsive to the direct voice of the American people...

Progressives also fought for women's suffrage BUT the elimination of supposedly corrupt black voters from the election booth. Racism is not a democratic feature.

Trust busting, regulations to control big business abuse, prohibition, woman's suffrage, national & municipal parks, social work, child labor laws, organized labor--all these were democratic ideas.
I don't think Teddy Roosevelt's imperialism and support for Panama's independence or Wilson's entry into WWI and his interference in Mexico's Revolution (to protect large land owners and Big Oil) were particularly democratic.
Prohibition was democratic, even if it was a mistake. Municipal reform and anti-corrpution efforts may not have been particularly democratic, but they were the right thing to do. The same could be said in the push for increased scientific
study.