Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025
Was Oklahoma’s constitution the most socialist in America when it was ratified?
Though not strictly socialist, Oklahoma’s 1907 constitution, which incorporated many progressive era reforms and used the 1905 Sequoyah Constitution as a framework, was considered to be the most progressive of its time
The growth and distrust of large corporations and monopolies during the turn of the 20th century led to the rise of the new People’s (Populist) Party and progressive ideology, which held that people needed protection from government corruption and big businesses, and that direct democracy would restrict both and return power to the people.
Both the Oklahoma and the rejected Seqoyah Constitution, drafted by tribal leaders, as well as Oklahoma’s eventual first governor, Charles Haskell, therefore included the direct democracy processes of the initiative, the referendum, and the recall, as well as corporate restrictions and worker protections.
Oklahoma’s direct democracy process has been altered throughout its history; most recently, the passing of SB 1027 altered the validity of signatures in initiative petitions.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Digital Commons - University of Nebraska - Lincoln Review of Progressive Oklahoma: The Making of a New Kind of State By Danney Goble
- Oklahoma Historical Society The Defining Documents of the State of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Historical Society The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
- Oklahoma Watch Is Oklahoma considering a bill that would alter the validity of collected signatures in its initiative petition process?
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