History

April 6, The Impact of Early 20th Century Progressivism The progressive movement changed the of AmericanHistory because, beginning with the election of Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, the Progressive Party was able to gain tremendous influence in political policies and philosophies. Another progressive, Woodrow Wilson would take office four years after Roosevelt finished his second term. Wilson also remained in office for two terms until 1921. Twelve years later, the most influential progressive, Franklin Roosevelt, took office and remained there for twelve years. Many of the progressive programs he implemented are still alive and well today. Progressivism began in the late 1800s as people began to feel that large corporations had too much power over people’s lives. The first progressives also felt that the government was corrupt and that the corrupt people needed to be removed from office. When Theodore Roosevelt was president, he targeted corporations that he felt were monopolistic and had too much power. He also advocated labor unions (“ Theodore Roosevelt”). Additionally, progressives like Roosevelt felt that science and technology were the solution to humanity’s problems. Woodrow Wilson shared many of Roosevelt’s progressive views and also believed that the checks and balances created by the founders to limit power were a mistake and should be done away with (“ Woodrow Wilson”). Franklin D. Roosevelt was also a progressive who advocated labor unions, increased taxes, and extensive government programs. Today’s progressives believe similarly that government intervention and government programs greatly benefit society. Most progressives are liberal democrats. They believe that the government is responsible for making people’s lives better. They justify the tremendous costs of the programs (including raising taxes to pay for the programs) they implement by claiming that, in the end, the programs will be a benefit to the people and are worth the cost. The progressive movement represents a significant shift toward increased government control that continued after FDR’s presidency. Works Cited ” Theodore Roosevelt.” NewWorldEncyclopedia. org. New World Encyclopedia, 24 Sep. 2008. Web. 6 Apr 2011. ” Woodrow Wilson.” NewWorldEncyclopedia. org. New World Encyclopedia, 16 Sep. 2009. Web. 6 Apr 2011.