After the civil war and reconstruction in the USA, there came the gilded period, which was characterized by rapid economic growth. However, the period was criticized for infringing democracy held in the hands of few individuals and corporations. The overall result was a progressive era that came to nullify the effects of the gilded era. Progressives in the united states believed that there was a denial of the basic freedoms provided by the US constitution, such as the freedom of speech and expression. Besides, there was the belief of poor leadership and leaders who had selfish h interests leading to only a few individuals benefiting in the new era. The era witnessed increased social activism aimed at bringing equality in all frames of life in the USA.
Many progressives wanted regulation of government manipulation through the development of direct democracy. Most progressives had termed the gilded era as one that had a lot of political manipulation. As a result, there was a need to develop an era that had individuals involved directly in the decision-making processes. The Oregon state was among the first states to approve a ballot measure in 1902, a step emulated by other states years later (Foner, 2020 pg 298). Direct democracy was aimed at ensuring that the bossing extent of those in power was reduced to make the common individuals be able to make decisions for themselves. The overall effect of informed and direct democracy was increased accountability through the consolidation of powers. Progressives believed that direct democracy was a form of self-rule as citizens would choose the leaders they wanted.
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The progressives wanted to fix the injustices, corruption, and inefficiency witnessed in the government during the gilded era. The main aim of the progressives was to fix the problem of corruption, which they believed led to the unequal distribution of resources (Foner, 2020 pg 259). Some corporations dominated, and there was inequality in businesses giving some people advantages over others. Progressives wanted a better state by fixing all matters that affected the state, including economic constraints. Besides, progressives wanted to focus on other important matters of the country, such as family and education, neglected in the gilded era (Foner, 2020 pg 914). There was an emphasis on the importance of regulating large monopolies that [provided unfair competition and advantages.
The progressives made several efforts to fix the problems that had been existing during the gilded era. One of the efforts was enacting the sixteenth amendment imposed income tax to increase overall tax collection on every individual and avoid unfair competition. There were election reforms that were contained in the eighteenth amendment, and the aim was to reduce or stop corruption at its peak during the gilded era (Foner, 2020 pg 312). Unequal opportunities in businesses were solved through the Sherman Act that was enacted in 1890. Besides, in 1914, there was an act of the Federal State Commissions enacted 1914 to bring equality in business transactions (Foner, 2020 pg 321). Women were also included, and their rights were taken care of, including those of children, by not sending them to adult prisons. Key leaders in the era included Hebert Hoover, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson. Political leaders had a great influence because politics influenced many decisions in the progressive era.
One of the recent progressive programs that have been witnessed in modern America was that of Barack Obama in 2008 when he was running for the presidency. Obama focused on creating a self-sustaining economy that would benefit a great population in the USA (Texeira, 2019 pg 1). Besides, Obama had a plan to regulate government expenditure to save the country from the economic crisis, just like those witnessed in the gilded era. There was a huge investment in education and universal health coverage for all the citizens, which was the case that was witnessed among the progressives. Obama, as a result, received a popular vote of 53 percent, the largest to ever been received by a presidential candidate (Texeira, 2019 pg 11). The nature of Obama’s progressive era was to bring equality in business among all races in the USA (Texeira, 2019 pg 2). What differed in Obama’s progressivism is carbon reduction and environmental conservation that did not feature in the progressive era.
In conclusion, the gilded era has characterized the infringement of democracy, among other social ills. One of the aims of the progressive era was to bring about direct democracy to reduce the manipulation of people. The progressives wanted to fix corruption, wastages, injustices, and the inefficiency that5 had been experienced in the gilded era. Several laws such as the sixteenth amendment, the eighteenth amendment, and the Sherman Act were enacted to help in fixing the problems. An example of a recent progressive era was Barack Obama in 2008 when he was vying for the USA presidency. Obama's era was focused on bringing social and economic equality, just like the past progressive era.
References
Foner, E. (2020). Give me liberty: An American history . New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Texeira, R. (2019). Progressive America [PDF]. New York: Center for American Progress.
