The Progressive Movement

During the Progressive Era from 1890 to 1920, Progressives (people in support of the movement) made the most significant reforms in the political area. Before changes were made in politics, the government was not believed to be strong enough in order to solve the problems including poverty, unfair working conditions, corruption in the economy, etc. So, the Progressive Movement was based on the idea of making the government stronger and more active in the solving of issues in society. Many progressives believed that more democracy was the key of fixing society in the forms of electoral changes, direct election of senators, and, although mostly women, many believed in the equality of voting rights between men and women. So, during the Progressive
Lots of people wanted the people elected into government positions to react and change more to the public’s opinions and issues. Robert La Follette, governor of Wisconsin at the time, challenged the selection of convention delegates which was run by party bosses. Knowing reform was needed, La Follette created a direct primary where the party bosses did not control the election. Instead, all people in a given party can vote for a candidate. This gave the people more say in the government because corruption was eliminated. This also strengthened the role of the government because now that the people voted for the party candidate, it would be someone more aware of and ready to change the problems of the time. This major change gave Wisconsin the nickname of the “laboratory of democracy”. The reason this is so important and it proves that politics were reformed the most is simply because it helped the democratic system grow and improve. This reform is directly applicable today as the direct primary idea is still used and people now have more of a say in their own government which was a very important aspect of the Progressive Movement. Because it is still used today, the direct primary change helps to support politics being the area in which the most important reforms were
Many groups such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) came together in support of the rights of women. After long fighting that included marches, speeches, hunger strikes, and even jail time, states started to give women the right to vote. Once more and more states supported new voting rights, Congress decided to make an amendment to the Constitution. Finally, in 1919, the Senate passed the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote. This was a massive victory for the women in the Progressive Movement and it changed a lot in politics. With new ideas and a whole lot more voters brought to the table, the voice of the people had become even stronger. The reason this supports the most reform being in politics is because the Nineteenth Amendment sparked new opportunity for the citizens to gain more control in the American democracy, ultimately leading to more and more change to society for the better. Also, it applies to today as women can still vote and the country even has a woman running for president currently. The Nineteenth Amendment provided the best example of country-changing movements and how they can affect so society so