Robert M. La Follette (1855–1925) was a leader of the progressive movement. As the governor of Wisconsin from 1900 to 1906, La Follette worked to enact reform at the level of state government. While in office, he promoted the “Wisconsin Idea,” a program to implement reforms in voting, taxes, and political corruption, and helped secure the passage of major state bills to reform railroad regulation and civil service. In 1906 La Follette was elected to the Senate, where he continued his work as a proponent of progressivism, supporting the...