Social welfare legislation refers to how a government helps to protect and promote economic opportunities for its citizens. This idea is seen throughout the Progressive Era in US history. One of the most famous Progressive presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, helped to enact several laws that fall under this category.
One of these laws was the establishment of the 8 hour work day. Before the Progressive era, individuals worked anywhere from 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week. This had a severe negative impact on American families. To change this, Roosevelt had the federal government investigate these practices and offer solutions to help protect American families.
Along with the standardized work day, Roosevelt also passed the Pure Food and Drug Act as well as the Meat Inspection Act. The Pure Food and Drug Act provided American citizens, as businesses were not able to sell any materials that were considered toxic. The Meat Inspection Act ensured that companies were no longer selling rotten or diseased meat.
These laws helped to improve the overall quality of life for American citizens.
