Question

According to William Allen White, what were two reforms the Progressives supported to expand democracy?

Answer 1

Two progressive reforms that helped expand democracy include voting in primaries and recall.

1) Voting in a primary- A primary election is when a person is picked to be the official nominee for a specific political party. This person will then face off against other candidates in the general election. The general election decides who wins the position. However, allowing citizens to vote in primary elections gives them much more political power, as before this time they were unable to have significant influence in deciding who would represent their party. This form of democracy is still an imperative part of American society today, as citizens still vote in primaries. This is especially true for the nomination of a presidential candidate.

2) Recall- Recall is a process in which citizens can vote to remove an elected official from office. This process involves a petition and a general vote by citizens. This expands democracy, as the citizens are now able to get rid of public officials who are corrupt or ineffective.