Zareth posted... Bull Moose
If Teddy were alive today he would absolutely lose his shit over what big businesses have become
The platform's main theme was reversing the domination of politics by business interests, which allegedly controlled the Republican and Democratic parties, alike. The platform asserted: "To destroy this invisible Government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day."
To that end, the platform called for:
- Strict limits and disclosure requirements on political campaign contributions
- Registration of lobbyists
- Recording and publication of Congressional committee proceedings
In the social sphere, the platform called for:
- A national health service to include all existing government medical agencies
- Social insurance, to provide for the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled
- Limiting the ability of judges to order injunctions to limit labor strikes
- A minimum wage law for women
- An eight-hour workday
- A federal securities commission
- Farm relief
- Workers' compensation for work-related injuries
- An inheritance tax
The political reforms proposed included:
- Women's suffrage
- Direct election of senators
- Primary elections for state and federal nominations
- Easier amending of the United States Constitution
The platform also urged states to adopt measures for "direct democracy", including:
- The recall election (citizens may remove an elected official before the end of his term)
- The referendum (citizens may decide on a law by popular vote)
- The initiative (citizens may propose a law by petition and enact it by popular vote)
- Judicial recall (when a court declares a law unconstitutional, the citizens may override that ruling by popular vote)