Ch. 6 World War I and Internationalism
Section 2: Progressive Reformers
Friday November, 18, 2011
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In your packet, turn to your journal. On the Ch. 6 main page (http://ryanhill1.wikispaces.com/US_
Ch6_main) go to the part of the page on links and click Progressive Reformers – current issue.
Watch the video and give your reaction in the Section 2 Question spot in your journal.
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In your daily lesson guide, Answer the following:
o
Social Gospel: Read the summary on your daily lesson guide. Then read the two
viewpoints listed below on social justice.
Progressive view – redistribution of wealth is necessary (not necessarily complete
socialism, but a tax code that taxes haves and gives to have nots); church promotes
Progressive agenda of more government involvement over individual liberties; those who
held Social Gospel beliefs felt the church should preach Progressive values…in other
words government asks the church to preach support for agenda. Redistribution policies
could be preached by claiming it’s the Christian ethic to help those in need, which
Progressive government claims to do.
Opposing views – the Founding Fathers promoted charities to help those in need and for
the church to help its congregation – these were done in early America. Social justice as
seen by the Founders was to make sure everyone had the opportunity to succeed and
give incentive to work hard. Non-progressives point out that the Bible teaches tithing and
giving to charity, not giving to the government and allowing the government to decide why
gets what items.
Which view do you agree with? Why? Answer on daily lesson guide.
o
Reforms at the state level: Some cities began to use a commission form of local
government while others elected a council and a city manager. Illiterate voters were
often told who to vote for by others. However, the new idea of the secret ballot allowed
voters to vote in the privacy of a secret voting booth. Voters got more voting power with
the initiative in some states in which voters could put issues on a ballot and have a
referendum in which the voters can pass a law or an amendment to their state’s
constitution (PA has the referendum). A new method called Recall allows voters to
remove an elected official (PA uses impeachment, not recall). The Direct Primary
election was put in place in which voters from each party vote for who runs for various
positions for the general election in November. The 17th amendment was added to the
Constitution, which put in the direct election of senators. One of the moral problems that
Progressives wanted to stop was the use of alcohol. Jane Addams wanted to help those
in poverty and set up Hull House.
o
Thinking Questions on Reform: Answer on daily lesson guide:
(1) Progressives promoted more democracy – more voting power for the people.
Certainly positives can be seen from such measures as initiative, referendum, recall,
and primary elections. So, why did the Founders set up a republic (we elect people
to make decisions for us) instead of a pure democracy (majority rule on everything)?
Some Founders called democracy “mobocracy,” claiming that mob rule would be the
results of a pure democracy whereas in a republic, voters get to elect the leaders.
Also, the Founders saw religious values as important and a republic as the best way
to protect those values. For example, murder is a crime in religious values and is in
our republic and always will be…but in a pure democracy, a majority could come in a
make that change. The government set up by the Founders set up a republic and
limiting aspects of pure democracy as best as they could. Over time, we’ve grown
into more of a pure democracy. In addition, if a vote for recall, initiative, or
referendum were put on a ballot and the voter turnout was 30%, then the majority of
that 30% would make the decision (meaning 15.1% of the public could make a
political decision) – the Founders set up a system to represent everyone. The
Founders worried that a group could intimidate a vote on an issue in a pure
democracy. The original system only allowed voters to vote for the House of
Representatives, which gave the people a voice in government. Other parts of the
government were chosen by a variety of other methods to keep from “mobocracy.”
Do you side with the Founders or Progressive? Why?
(2) Originally elected by state legislatures (state legislators were elected by the people in
a state) to govern in the interests of their own states. The 17th amendment changed
it to election by the people. Seems good, but now Senators campaign with money
from outside the state, and don’t always rule in the interest of just their own state, as
originally intended. Original intent was for the people (House) and states (Senate) to
have checks and balances on each other.
o
Election of 1912: There were 3 candidates in this election: William Taft the Republican
(mistake on your guide), Woodrow Wilson the Democrat, and Theodore Roosevelt as the
Bull Moose Progressive candidate. TR pushed his Progressive ideas and took votes
from Taft, which enabled Wilson to win. This would be the drawback of 3 rd parties
throughout our history…that they take votes from one of the major candidates.
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Be sure to answer the “Did you meet the objective” question on your daily lesson guide.
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Complete the Homework #1 assignments. It’s located on the main page and is a Microsoft Word
link.