ution, alcohol, political corruption and almost every aspect of public and even private life. They achieved some spectacular successes at virtually every level, from child labor laws across the country to prohibition at the national level.
There was a good deal of moralism in the Progressive movement, and Progressives were often seen as sanctimonious busybodies and meddlers, poking around in things that were none of their business. For others the Progressives, and the muckrakers who provided the raw material for those reformers, were upholding American values and the American way of life. For still others they were helping working people by rescuing capitalism from its worst excesses, and because businessmen were smart enough to see that discontented, angry workers were a threat to their livelihood, they often supported Progressivism and even led the charge, thought it might cost them in the short run. This phenomenon of short-term sacrifice for long-term advantage is an example of what is often called enlightened self-interest.
In the political arena the Progressives wanted goof government at all levels, and among their more notable achievements were the direct election of Senators and woman suffrage. But good government meant more than
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