Progressivism Vs Populism

During the late 19th century and early 20th century the progressive movement and populist movement were groups and organizations getting together to resolve social, economic, and political problems occurring in the United States. Both movements had different approaches to what was more important and how to deal with problems. Progressivism was mainly for the betterment of cities while populism is for agrarian section of farmers.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, presumably around the 1890's, it became known as the Progressive Era, a time of change, reform, and adaptation. As Vernon L. Parrignton put it, it was a "democratic renaissance" (Vernon L. Parrington in The Progressive Movement: Liberal or Conservative). So what was Progressivism? Well, its main goals were to curb corporate power, to end business monopolies, and to wipe out political corruption. They also wanted to democratize electoral procedures, protect working people, and bridge the gap between social classes. They called for reforms such as the referendum, initiative, and the recall. They wanted the Americanization of the immigrant and the

In 1890 to 1920 imperialism and progressivism rose in the United States, affecting the country and its people. Progressivism and the political, social, and environmental reforms benefited unions, women, and the environment. However, due to the growing concerns with urban social problems a major weakness was the overshadowing of other problems like nonunionized workers, farmers, and the growing racism specifically directed to African Americans.

While the Populists were able to inspire some more government involvement in the economy with their currency concerns, the Progressives both reformed the government into a less corruptible system and called for more government participation in reducing the growing power of certain industries. Similarly, although the Populists managed to bring attention to the plight of the workers, the Progressives, with their wider range of supporters due to their broader appeal, was able to pass workplace regulations and to organize institutes to help foreigners assimilate into American society. Finally, as the Populists failed to convince the nation to address most of their most basic beliefs and goals, the Progressives succeeded in obtaining government recognition of their side of a long-standing racial dissension. In conclusion, historians are correct in believing that the Populists were less successful than the Progressives in attaining their goals because of the vast differences between the two results of the groups’ reform

The Populist movement was the most distinguished reform movement of the late nineteenth century, totalling more than one million popular votes during the election of 1892. The Populist movement was a product of a social movement that was created in response to the changes in the American economy and society during the 1890s. Despite the fact that they died out that same century, some of their ideas lived on with the Progressives of the early twentieth century. These two movements both were based on the people’s dissatisfaction with government and its failure to deal effectively with the problems of the day. While the Progressives went beyond the original ideas of the Populist by advocating for social reform, they still succeeded in achieving gains for economic, industrial, and

There was a widely accepted notion called populism that had led to an ‘us’ and ‘them’ concept,

The Progressive Era, spanning the early 20th century, consisted notably of an insurgence of reformational ideas. Brought about by politicians and journalists, these reforms were taken to the national level on a balanced scale. Reformers were not always able to succeed, and despite many efforts, the extent of desired reform was not reached, due to government setbacks and international

The term Progressivism implies a philosophy that promotes change/reform in the current political, economic, and social aspects of society while conservatism stresses gradual change in society but promotes tradition rather than change. The Progressive movement from 1901 to 1917 worked to improve aspects of society that grew out of problems which occurred during the Industrial Age. The goals of the "Progressives" were to stop monopolies, corruption, inefficiency and social injustices. Both progressive acts and amendments were being passed to deal with social ills, corruption in politics and corporate America. The period from 1901-1917 was more a victory for liberalism, mainly "modern liberalism", than a triumph of conservatism due to the

Populists: The Populist movement also influenced progressivism. While rejecting the call for free silver, the progressives embraced the political reforms of SECRET BALLOT, INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, and RECALL. Most of these reforms were on the state level. Under the governorship of ROBERT LAFOLLETTE, Wisconsin became a laboratory for many of these political reforms. The Populist ideas of an income tax and direct election of senators became the SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH AMENDMENTS to the United States Constitution under progressive direction.

How much change can occur in a simple decade? The 1920s was an era filled with American pride yet acceptance aswell and with national wealth at it's peak this boosted the 20s even more, but during the 1930s this pride and prosperity was suffocated by the new era of depression. Minorities were still mistreated and had little to no rights during both eras, but social value was beginning to vary greatly. Lifestyle for most was completely flipped around in just a matter of 10 years.

Throughout American history, reform was common among people of a particular, race, gender, or class used to accomplish change. The emergence of the populist and progressive movements were a response to the changing climate in American society due to rapid industrialization, an ethnically diverse personality of a young nation, and birth of American imperialism. Disgruntled American farmers that wished to advance their economic position initiated the Populist movement. Progressives pushed to improve urban labor conditions, dismantle trusts and monopolies, conserve of environment, and to install an active government. Populism and Progressivism had many similarities and differences, which

Populism was a narrow movement, confined mostly to the western and southern farmers, and was a movement of small- town ignorance lashing out against progress and espoused many ideas which simply could be categorized as fear of the other, a sort of “conspiratorial theory and… suspicion of the stranger that haunted, and still tragically haunts, the nativist American mind”(82). Hofstadter quotes editorials and poems from farmers’ magazines which display their state of mind, and their suspicion of cities and city- life. Progressivism, however, took some of the issues of the Populists and made a genteel, nation- wide movement of reform. The Progressives, according to Hofstadter, were the long- established wealthy professionals who were losing in status and prestige in comparison with the nouveau riche robber barons and railroaders and losing political clout to the ‘bosses’ who controlled the immigrant populations of the cities. Hofstadter refers to the Progressives as ‘gentry’ and they took a stance of liberal, well- intentioned, noblesse oblige, which had the final goal as putting the country back on the right track. Of course, the right path for the country was the one that placed them in prominence once again, and limited the power of the big businesses and eradicated the political bosses of the cities. As with the Populist movement, Hofstadter reviews literature, editorials, and

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time”. Was progressivism, of which Roosevelt is the champion, “wise in time”? In other words, was progressivism worth it in the end? From conservation, to women's suffrage, to race relations, the Progressive Era was full of both improvements and setbacks, but ended up being favorable to the U.S. as a whole. Conservation helped improve both the national appreciation for nature and the economy in the long run.

Whether by birth or by virtue of some other criteria such as owning property, the pool of voters was relatively small in comparison to the population of most nations. Due to the narrow standard for the extension of suffrage those with the power to vote often came for the same social strata and shared similar goal and ideas. This is not to say that there were not disagreements but those with the right to vote were often out of touch with the concerns of the bulk of the population. As the influence of those from classes which had been traditionally denied the vote increased, governments had little choice but to open the right to vote to larger segments of the population. In many western nations this right became universal in the early 20th Century, thereby altering the political landscape.

Progressivism started in the late 19th and early 20th century. Progressivist believed that to fix modern problems, the old ways and ideas needed to be tossed out the window and that minds should become more open. This mostly had to do with topics of the government. Progressivist were found on both sides of the political rim with Woodrow Wilson being a Democrat and Teddy Roosevelt being a Republican. “The Progressives were united in their contempt for what they called the “individualism” of the Founding. Instead of a government that protects natural rights through limited, decentralized powers, they envisioned an expansive government, a “living” and evolving Constitution, and the rule of “experts” in nationally centralized administrative agencies.”