Progressivism

Progressives – crusading middle to upper class professionals – reformers – no radical & fundamental restructuring of capitalist economy – go back to original American message opportunity for all.

control big buiness & ameliorate poverty, women's rights, consumers rights, government reform

Fix excesses of guilded age and create "middle-class paradise" Wm James

ultra rich living like Oriental Potentates – total lack of discipline – profligate spending – vulgar display – Spending $hundreds of thousands on one super ultimate debauch of richness which makes Versilles and hummingbird tongue look like Mother Teresa in NY during the depth of a depression when workers were starving and freezing to death. Ultimate trickle-downers. One of the ultra-rich said "I cannot conceive of why this entertainment should be condemned" After all it had helped the economy because "many New York shops sold out brocades and silks which had been lying in their stock-rooms for years"

This Elite had no concern for human values if the "human" was not rich. The rich paid almost no taxes – courts had said their corporations were subject to very few restraints by Congress. They are able to buy legislatures and judges with their chump change & saw themselves as a natural aristocracy. "the failures which a man makes in his life are due almost always to some defect in his personality, some weakness of body or mind, or character, will or temperament" according to John D Rockefeller. Almost all came from upper or upper-middle families – althought the exceptions to this rule were magnified and emphasized continually.

Rich usually deny "Class" - Don't believe they have unfair advantages.

Working Poor - 12 hour+ day 6 or 7 days a week – go to sleep exhausted – back up to work –begin work at 12 - die at 30.

They had a culture of mutualism and reciprocity rather than the individualism of the Rich.

Individualism made no sense in the real world they inhabited (ghetto culture after integration)

Had to depend on Family and others to survive.

Children often worked - stayed with family much longer. Jews an exception – value education

Little chance of escape from low wages, frequent unemployment – little hope of advancement.

Trade unions also emphasice communal solidarity – condemn individualism.

Working class embrace culture of expressiveness and pleasure - not middle class discipline & savings

Spend on fancy clothes, funerals, parties, dancing (game theory – freakonomics)

Progressives apply a middle-class POV to try to reform both classes.

Uplift, discipline and improve the poor.

Control the rich – repulsed by their excesses, arrogance, Lack of discipline. "Leisure Class"

MIDDLE CLASS Progressives

Individualistic sons – hard work and deferred gratification

Fewer children = more attention each child – families have room for sense of "self"

birth control including abortions

leads to fear of demographic suicide - "inferiors" breed like rabbits

1st anti-abortion movement - (also Doctors asserting professional control over Birth)

Sanger and Birth control – sexual and medical reform and change power relationship men & women

women dying after many children rapidly – many starving children

Progressives raise hackles when they interfere with "traditional" male control family(again 60's)

Women's education – taste of independence Domesticity enough?

Double standard problematic- crusades against alcohol, pornography, prostitution and gambling

Progressives ease domestic burdens – "Voluntary motherhood" Postpone marriage, postpone children

Home economics – utilize resources of science to improve home & decrease burden

Make homes simpler – moderate consumption – "costly ugliness is a crime"

give women more public opportunities

Cult of fitness 1890's – Eugene Sandow – muscle man and gentleman

Gibson Girl – lithe, tall, strong, athletic and dignified

PROGRESSIVES started at the local level and worked their way up.

They started with the problems of everyday life.

More emphasis on society's needs than selfish individual.

They loved experts and science – rationalize govenrment.

Science connected to Pragmatism.

Pragmatism in part a reaction to the horrors of the Civil War.

Created a fear of "enthusiasm" like John Brown.

Believed that ends and means were not tidy divisions.

Ending slavery a good "end" but was it worth the cost of the means.

Peirce statistical reality – especially useful in social sciences.

"Brandeis Briefs" use social science information – public health and safety - to guide court decisions.

Labor regulations justified because health damages from working conditions.

Originalists and Federalists tend not to like this "living constitution" which takes account

of changing social realities. Brown V Board of Educ used statistical data on education.

Governor LaFollette uses Scientists and professors from Madison in govt

Hiram Johnson in Californis – free from "octopus" of Southern Pacific entrepreneurs thrived

Direct primary, initiative referendum and recall - mixed blessings – Prop 13, Schwartzeneger

Earlier Judicial activism made business regulation like this difficult for the National government.

Activism had ignored the Common-Law foundation which all the founders assumed covered things not mentioned in the Constitution including pollution control etc in common law ( under threat again from Federalists).

Civilizing the city

Focus on health and safety.

By 1915 2/3 of nation's municipal governments owned and regulated local water supplies.

Some cities owned other utilities Trolley car systems and regulations

Zoning – windows and bathrooms – limits on crowding

Air Pollution

Settlement Houses – Jane Addams – culture & arts & lectures & readings - Nurseries, kindergartens – Spearhead reform – get rid corrupt bosses so garbage is picked up - study urban problems with scientific precision – armed with statistics

city managers instead of Bosses in many areas – but it de-personalizes politics – lowers turnout – Americans like personalities, not wonks as we see lately

Social Gospel – apply Christian Princiles to everyday life – counter Carnegie's belief that riches signify divine favor – turn down Rockefeller's "tainted money"

Social Purity (prostitution) get rid of the double standard – Mann Act - VD test before marriage

Prohibition – WCTU – Anti Saloon League – Liquor companies fight women's suffrage Nativism also – Germans drinking family tradition – socialize on Sunday after church

Economics of black markets – Anslinger and Hurst later – cynicism intrusive government

Women and progressivism – suffrage campaigners – WTUL trade union league – ILGWU – Triangle Shirtwaist factory – dangerous conditions and union recognition – Fire spur to reform

NATIONAL PROGRESSIVISM. Theodore Roosevelt THE VITAL QUESTION IS "WHETHER OR NOT THE GOVENRMENT HAS THE POWER TO CONTROL THE TRUSTS" 1902 Northern Securities Case – file suit against Morgan – "send your man to my man and they can fix it up" – as if government is on same level as plutocrats – puts Wall Street on notice. Supreme Court upholds case 1904 – turnaround on Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)– more progressive mood? Anthracite Coal Strike – Owners refuse to talk – nation may freeze - threatens to sieze mines from owners – Morgan etc agree to arbitration – Government independence of Big Business clear. Trustbusting of "bad" trusts – outlaw rebates from RR's

1904 – 57.9% victory – largest popular mandate Pure food and drug act 1906 - The Jungle by Upton Sinclair – exposed the gross conditions of packing houses Roosevelt complained about Muckrakers – all complaints, few solutions – but he uses their revelations to build public support for regulation of big business. Meat Inspection Act. Elkins Act forbids Rebates Hepburn Railroad Regulation Act: - strengthen power of Interstate Commerce Commission - Set rates subject to court review – power to investigate – transparency

Overall Roosevelt prefers cooperation to Trust Busting – has to go to Morgan for bailout in panic of 1907 – gets snookered on Tennessee Coal and Iron – undercut Southeastern economy

FOREIGN POLICY – "Speak softly but carry a big stick" Vigorous Advocate of Naval Power – wants canal to move fleet – steals Isthmus from Colombia upriising financed by NY investors – begins canal = emphasize Monroe Doctrine – keep out Germans – Policeman of Hemisphere Diplomacy – balance of power Japan & Russia (Nobel Prize) and European Navies Engl and Germany

Conservation – set aside over 100 million acres in west – Yosemite – Yellowstone

Unfortunate pledge not to run again in 1904 – picks Taft successor

William H. Taft – governor general Phillipines – inept politician surrounded by conservatives – Legalist – relies on dollar diplomacy without big stick – arbitration treaties and world court – Democrats oupswing – pass 16^th Amendment – Graduated Income tax - 17^th – Direct Election Senators

Election 1912 – Roosevelt pissed – no control of party machinery - 3^rd party – Bull Moose Progressives PLATFORM: Women's Suffrage, direct democracy, minimum wages, national health care, workers compensation, Conservation NEW NATIONALISM – Hamiltonian means (strong central govt) for greated democratic empowerment - Jeffersonian ends – Lincoln again – Feds as referee.

Woodrow Wilson – wins because Republican split – dyslexic (B43 also) stubborn, hates criticism NO COMPROMISE - Believes he is "INSTRUMENT OF GOD" - likes loyalty – stern will & fixed beliefs – never admit mistakes – this becomes critical in fight for League of Nations – even more rigid after stroke - socializes better with women

Southern Conservative very racist – Birth of a Nation "history written with lightning" segregate DC Reluctant progressive - NEW FREEDOM – fight bigness with antitrust – limited govt

lower tarifs and income tax - the rich pay a smidge

Federal Reserve Act- efficient banking and flexible sound currency – adequate credit – economic theorizing not sufficient to attempt control of boom/bust cycles – Keynes would come later

Federal Trade Commission - Investigatory powers – prosecute "unfair trade practices"

Wilson appoints conservative bankers and businessmen to Fed & FTC – Progressive movement done – time of healing needed – oops – Republican progressives gain – child labor - Brandeis to Supreme court – 8 hour day