Final answer:
Progressivism sought to promote efficiency and social justice through government regulation and aimed for a perfected democracy with expanded suffrage. It included bold cultural and political reforms but faced caution from business leaders and concerns from conservatives about increased economic, racial, and gender equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impact of Progressivism on Society
Progressivism was a reform movement that profoundly influenced American society in various domains. The progressives were driven by a belief that government regulations could promote efficiency and social justice. Their aim was not to head towards socialism but to find a middle ground between governmental control and the laissez-faire practices that were prevalent. They aspired to achieve a perfected democracy by expanding suffrage and enforcing regulations that could ensure market efficiency and protect public interests against private monopolies.
Many business leaders found in Progressivism a preferable alternative to radical movements, primarily because it promised stability and mild regulation over their enterprises. However, they remained cautious about potential encroachments on their autonomy by increasingly powerful government entities. Conversely, social conservatives worried that Progressive reforms would usher in too much economic, racial, and gender equality, disrupting traditional hierarchies. Intellectual conservatives also feared that Progressivism might lead to an unwieldy government, compromising the nation's fiscal and political sovereignty.
Despite these concerns, Progressivism fostered substantial cultural and political reforms, including efforts oriented towards better working conditions, the prohibition movement, and the encouragement of American expansion overseas in hopes of spreading democratic values, a concept often described as 'American exceptionalism.'