The Problem
A problem before the Progressive Movement was corruption, which is when the government is dishonest.
An example of corruption is a political machine. A political machine is a corrupt organization led by a ‘boss’ that controls elections by rewarding supporters with jobs and favors.
Corruption was a big problem for the community. Sometimes people would even bribe the government. A bribe is when people pay the government to treat them better than anyone else. The government was happy about this because they would get all of the money.