The "Great Quieting" during the Progressive Era dramatically reformed US democracy

[Hardkill]

Guys, I just found a few really good articles that each explained how the increasingly intense political polarization that America has been going through is similar to what happened during the Gilded Age (c. 1870-1900). In fact, politics during the late 19th century was arguably even more chaotic, violent, and corrupt than it has been during the late 1900s and 2000s.

They then talked about how during the era that followed, which was the Progressive Era (c. 1896–1916), was the period in US history where the country wen through was what called the "Great Quieting."

The "Great quieting" was what greatly cooled down the whole political environment through the entire nation. The key to this was by not only making politics so dry and boring but also making it harder for everyone in the US to vote. This was done by having cities banned public protesting without permits, replace on-the-ground volunteers with paid organizers, have “Educational campaigns” print sheafs of dense pamphlets about issues like tariffs or the currency, close saloons on Election Day in order to ensure sober voters, and have voters be in isolated polling booths alone and choose candidates from government-printed secret ballots that had very dense text. Also, during this era, not talking much about politics became a new social norm for anyone unless you were either a politician, some kind of government employee, a rich person with certain political connections, or a paid political activist. Unfortunately, however, minorities, younger people, less educated individuals, and poor people within the entire country were heavily disenfranchised. All of that together weeded out a tremendous amount of foolish, ignorant, and toxic voters throughout all of the US from voting in any kind of election. Furthermore, all of these changes made voting more deliberate and much less vulnerable to fraud or intimidation.

This eventually lead to so much greater bipartisanship between both political parties. As a result of this unity, the government was able to make massive progressive reforms in American democracy in numerous ways from around 1905 to 1920. Consequently, the government was at last able to enact all kinds of new and improved regulations on industry, transportation, food, and drug, progressive income taxes, etc.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/04/24/forgotten-precedent-unprecedented-politics-age-of-acrimony-484072

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/little-known-story-19th-century-americas-hyper-partisan-warfare-180977586/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/opinion/normal-politics-gilded-age.html

 

So, How do you think that America will ever be able to through another "Great quieting"?

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by Hardkill

[Hardkill]

Perhaps things are going to get more chaotic, more violent, and more corrupt before law enforcement begins to finally crack down very hard on all of these new age problems in the country?

[Arcangelo]

Not only America...