Political Bosses- political figures who had power in cities, counties, and states Popular with the poor ◦ Gave jobs, coal, turkeys, etc. ◦ In return they expected political support
Boss Tweed ran Tammany Hall in NYC ◦ Political Boss ◦ Cheated the city out of $100 million Thomas Nast- political cartoonist ◦ Famous for his political cartoons about Boss Tweed ◦ His cartoons allowed people to identify Boss Tweed when he fled the country!
Who was Boss Tweed? What were some of the problems in the cities at this time? How was Boss Tweed caught and captured?
Muckrakers- journalists who exposed the “real” truth to the public ◦ Ida Tarbell- exposed the Standard Oil Trust ◦ Upton Sinclair- exposed the meatpacking industry
Reformers who were “forward thinking” people Wanted to act in the people’s best interest Get rid of corruption
Robert La Follette- Governor of Wisconsin ◦ The “Wisconsin Idea”- progressive reforms Graduated Income Tax- taxes based on how much you make ◦ i.e. the more you make, the more you are taxed; the less you make, the less you are taxed
Party leaders pick candidates for state and local offices Only members of state legislature can introduce bills Only legislators can pass laws Only courts or legislature can remove corrupt officials PRIMARY INITIATIVE REFERENDUM RECALL Voters select their party’s candidates Voters can propose bills to the legislature Voters can vote on bills directly Voters can remove elected officials from office
What were muckrakers? Give 2 examples. What was the graduated income tax? List 2 examples of changes that took place during the progressive era.