US History regarding Progressivism vs. Populists
Kindly explain Progressivism to me and include what ways it was the first modern US reform movement...who were the progressives and how did they differ from the Populists? What did the Progressives seek to do and why...and how well did they succeed...and what impact did this reform effort have on US history?
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Hi There,
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<br>Here are your answers:
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<br>Progressivism is a political movement that represents the interests of ordinary people in their roles as taxpayers, consumers, employees, citizens, and parents. To coin a phrase, progressivism champions government "of the people, by the people, for the people.
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<br>In general, then, Progressivism stands at the opposite pole from economic elitism, and has enjoyed its greatest support and successes precisely when the injustice, exploitation, arrogance, and greed of elites become intolerable.
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<br>source: http://progressiveliving.org/progressivism.htm
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<br>''Populism' is a political ideology, the central tenet of which is the conviction that governments ought to concern themselves with providing the conditions for the greatest good for the greatest number. Populists typically are opposed to both oligarchy, or government by the few, and plutocracy, or government by the wealthy.
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<br>Organized American populism began with a political party formed in 1891, which was subsequently active in the election of 1892. It arose among farmers exploited by creditors. These agrarian (that is, farm-based) populists
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<br>opposed deflationary monetary policies that favored creditors, and advocated control of monopolies.
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<br>Populists may be found among liberals and conservatives alike. Patrick Buchanan, for example, is a conservative populist, while Jim Hightower is a liberal populist. Generally, conservative populists are more concerned about the size and power of governments, while liberal populists tend to be more concerned about the size and power of big business; but at the base of both perspectives is a strikingly smiliar concern with large, unresponsive,
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<br>bureaucratic, and unaccountable institutions. Both would agree with Lord Acton's celebrated observation: "The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to to govern. Every class is unfit to govern . . . Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
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<br>In American mass media, populists of every stripe are routinely subjected to subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ridicule. This is hardly surprising, given the ownership of the media by an economic elite, which undoubtedly believes its own narrow interests would be at risk
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<br>source: http://progressiveliving.org/populism_defined.htm
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<br>. Sources of Progressive Reform
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<br>A. Industrialization, with all its increase in productivity and the number of consumer goods, created
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<br>1) Unemployment and labor unrest
<br>2) Wasteful use of natural resources
<br>3) Abuses of corporate power
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<br>B. Growing cities magnified problems of poverty, disease, crime, and corruption
<br>C. Influx of immigrants and rise of new managerial class upset traditional class alignments
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<br>D. Massive depression (1893-1897) convinced many that equal opportunity was out of reach for many Americans.
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<br>II. Who Were the Progressives?
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<br>A. New middle class composed of young professionals
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<br>1. Sought to apply principles of professions (medicine, law, ...