Introduction
Even though the first official regulation dates back to 1887, attempts to make it happen even earlier. It began with the fact that in the 1870s, the farmers’ association tried to establish a set of rules. They were called the Grangers and fought for railroad regulation. After litigation, the Supreme Court ruled that each state’s price regulation is a matter until Congress intervenes in the regulation. However, at the time, laws passed to regulate industries in the state did not have the desired effect. This showed the need for the federal government to establish business regulations (Buenker, 2020). The Progressive Era can be labeled as an attempt to improve American society. Moreover, in addition to significant advances, the government has introduced reforms including the Regulation of Business, Greater Democracy, Conservationism, the Rise of Professionalism, and Prohibition. In this regard, each reform’s positive and negative effects have had a lasting impact on the entire American community.
Regulation of Business
Business regulation was a mandatory introduction throughout the United States of America. It was established following the restrictions put forward by the federal government. Most of the proposed regulations were adopted by Congress to enable the management of large businesses (Holdren, 2020). Such regulations were introduced to protect free enterprise in the country. Moreover, the Sherman Act was introduced, an attempt to legally abolish restrictions on competition between companies (. Many large enterprises jointly adjusted prices and output, including pools and trusts. Thus, Ford, the only car company, set any cost due to the lack of competition. However, the regulations aim to ensure that every citizen has equal rights and opportunities in the field of business.
Greater Democracy
A desire for greater democracy can characterize the progressive era. Most of the reform movements arose as a confrontation against corruption and those who held high positions in power. These movements were formed by farmers fighting for rights against fractal rates. Moreover, women’s rises for upholding voting rights and achieving equal opportunities were formed (Connelly, 2018). Thus, the reform movements were able to retain power from city officials. The reformers publicly exposed government officials caught in corruption, resulting in which they were removed from their duties. After that, the leaders of the reform movements came to power and achieved greater democracy in the country.
Conservationism
Conservationism is a political ideology that focuses on traditional and inherited practices. The doctrine emphasizes that society is not a disparate group of individuals but an assembly in which each member is connected. During the Age of Enlightenment, social reforms focused on the modernization of society, which the defenders of natural resources opposed (Smith, 2020). The progressive era aimed to protect nature from exploitation by large organizations and corrupt authorities. Large organizations referred to the endless supply of natural resources; however, this endangered the lives of future generations. Thus, environmentalists’ appeal to the authorities was aimed at the regulation and control of natural resources in the United States. The goal of the government was to restore abandoned land. Thus, President Roosevelt followed the Newland Act and introduced restrictions to preserve nature.
The Rise of Professionalism
As a result of the progressive era, several professions were introduced. Some of these include medicine, special education, and the field of social work. Thereby, there was a need to establish qualification standards for several professions (Rodgers, 2020). They were created to decide who could continue to work professionally and who should be fired. As a result of increasing industrialization, working conditions changed, which led to creating opportunities for specialization. Thus, the development and expansion of fields and knowledge have led to the emergence of modern professions. Thanks to growing professionalism, markets have improved, as professional services’ evaluation has become more complex. Moreover, it has led to an increase in the security of society and an improvement in welfare.
Prohibition
Prohibition is the introduction of the Progressive Era and it stands for the Eightieth Amendment to the Constitution. It states that the sale and production of alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the country. The purpose of the progressive era focused on the need to eradicate social evils, including alcoholic beverages (Green & Roiphe, 2020). In the 1830s, a temperance movement emerged that actively supported the introduction of Prohibition. The Progressive Era was the catalyst for this movement when public attention was focused on social issues, including drunkenness and growing poverty. Many figures have argued that men spend money on alcohol instead of feeding their families. Prohibition was most successful in the western states and the rural south. However, the dry law did not have the desired effect in megacities.
References
Buenker, J. D. (2018). The income tax and the Progressive Era. Routledge.
Connelly, M. T. (2018). The response to prostitution in the progressive era. UNC Press Books.
Green, B. A., & Roiphe, R. (2020). When prosecutors politick: Progressive law enforcers then and now. The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 110, 719.
Holdren, N. (2020). Injury impoverished: Workplace accidents, capitalism, and law in the Progressive Era. Cambridge University Press.
Rodgers, R. (2020). The social awakening and the news: A Progressive Era movement’s influence on journalism and journalists’ conceptions of their roles. Journalism History, 46(2), 81-105.
Smith, K. K. (2020). The Conservation constitution: The conservation movement and constitutional change, 1870-1930. University Press of Kansas.