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Difficulty: MediumProgressive Era Reforms and Influences

Source: Robert M. La Follette, *La Follette's Autobiography*, 1913

"The will of the people shall be the law of the land... The direct primary is the first step in the struggle to regain for the people the control of their own government. It is the beginning of a conflict which will not end until the representative system of government is made responsive to the voters, and the influence of the political boss and the corporate lobby is broken."

Based on the excerpt, which of the following best describes the primary goal of the political reform advocated by La Follette?

  1. A
    Establishing government ownership of utilities and railroads to assist rural farmers.
  2. B
    Protecting the absolute freedom of the market from federal regulatory oversight.
  3. Expanding democratic participation to reduce the influence of political machines and interest groups.Answer
  4. D
    Enforcing the constitutional guarantees of voting rights for African American men.

Answer

Expanding democratic participation to reduce the influence of political machines and interest groups.
The correct answer is correct because the direct primary was a hallmark Progressive reform designed to bypass boss-dominated nominating conventions, giving ordinary voters the power to select candidates and reducing the influence of corrupt party organizations and special interest lobbies.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text to identify the author's primary argument.
The author argues that the direct primary is a crucial tool to restore government control to the voters and break the power of political bosses and corporate lobbies.
Understanding the core argument is necessary to evaluate which historical goal it supports.
2
Contextualize the direct primary within the broader Progressive Era reforms.
The direct primary was part of a suite of electoral reforms (including the initiative, referendum, recall, and the Seventeenth Amendment) aimed at increasing direct democracy.
This links the specific reform mentioned in the excerpt to the general objectives of the era.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that aligns with these goals.
The choice emphasizing the expansion of democratic participation to combat political machines directly matches La Follette's goals in the excerpt.
This allows for the elimination of incorrect options that represent either different historical periods or opposing ideologies.

Key Concept

Progressive Era political reforms aimed to increase citizen participation in democracy and curb the power of corrupt political machines and corporate influence.
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Topics

Progressive Era Reforms and Influences

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