Progressive Party Research Paper

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The Progressive party, nicknamed the Bull Moose party, was a splinter party founded by Theodore Roosevelt. The Party was very influential and important in the political history of America in the Election of 1912. As stated in its declaration, the party believed that the current parties were not executing the will of the people, but rather corrupting the government to serve their own selfish purposes. According to the Declaration of Principles written by the Progressive Party, political parties were supposed to “secure responsible government and to execute the will of the people. So, Roosevelt formed this splinter party in order to bring to the attention of the American people that there needed to be a change in how the government was run.…show more content…
A government of the people, run by the people, and for the people- the idea of pure democracy. They believed that public welfare was the most important and should be taken care of first. The party valued equal opportunity for women and industrial justice for children as well. In the Party’s declaration it states, “This country belongs to the people who inhabit it. Its resources, its business, its institutions and its laws should be utilized, maintained or altered in whatever manner will best promote the general interest.” All this meant that the Party would protect the interest of worker, men and women, to promote progress. On the side of business, the Party believed that the major monopolies in the United states were abusing their great amount of power. They believed in “strengthening the Sherman law by prohibiting agreements to divide territory or limit output; refusing to sell to customers who buy from business rivals; to sell below cost in certain areas while maintaining higher prices in other places; using the power of transportation to aid or injure special business concerns; and other unfair trade practices.” Another important value the party had was keeping an honest and just government. The party was mostly formed off of the belief that the two current political parties had formed an “invisible government.” This means that instead of using their…show more content…
Even an assassination attempt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while on his way to make a speech, couldn’t stop him. The very same day he was shot, Roosevelt still delivered his message; he assured the people that “it would take more than that to kill a Bull Moose.” The attempt only seemed to fuel the fire for the campaign, its beliefs resonating in the hearts of the American people. The Progressive party also utilized many sources of mass media, such as magazines, movies, independent newspapers, and audio

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