Industrial cities of this time period played host to a variety of problems, such as corruption of city officials, who were often bribed to look the other way if safety or sanitary standards were not met. As well as unsafe living conditions. This was especially evident in the tenements in which many immigrants were forced to live in their own waste mixed with two or three of their neighbors simply because their was no room. Illnesses were more frequent in these areas and crime was an everyday thing. Laborers who worked in the factories were often subject to extremely unsafe conditions and incredibly low pay. Early reformers tried to stop this by creating labor unions, electing new officials, and building new homes for the immigrants to stay in and be educated in american culture and society so that they would fit in better,
Though industrialization in the United States raised standards of living for many, it had a dark side. Corporate bosses, sometimes referred to as “robber barons,” pursued unethical and unfair business practices aimed at eliminating competition and increasing profits. Factory workers, many of them recent immigrants, were frequently subjected to brutal and perilous working and living conditions. Political corruption enriched politicians at the expense of the lower and working classes, who struggled to make ends meet. The gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” was widening.
The Progressive movement arose as a response to these negative effects of industrialization. Progressive reformers sought to regulate private industry, strengthen protections for workers and consumers, expose corruption in both government and big business, and generally improve society.
All legislative power in the government is vested in Congress, meaning that it is the only part of the government that can make new laws or change existing laws. ... The President may veto bills Congress passes, but Congress may also override a veto by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
