What is Progressivism?
Progressivism is a political outlook that believes society can and should be improved through reform. Progressives tend to see government as a useful tool to correct unfair outcomes, protect vulnerable groups and respond to new problems. The term has two main uses. Historically, it names a reform movement in the United States in the early twentieth century. Today, it is a broad label for people on the left of center who stress social justice, civil rights and economic fairness.
Core beliefs
- Society can be improved through deliberate reform.
- Government should reduce inequality and regulate powerful businesses.
- Civil rights should be extended to groups that have faced discrimination.
- Public services such as health care and education should be widely available.
- Science and evidence should guide policy on issues like public health and climate.
History
Britannica describes the original Progressive movement as a response to the problems of rapid industrialization and urban growth in the United States after the Civil War, including urban poverty, poor working conditions and the concentration of corporate wealth. From roughly the 1890s to the 1920s, reformers fought monopolies, child labor and political corruption. The social worker Jane Addams founded Hull House in Chicago, the philosopher John Dewey linked democracy and education, and the writer Herbert Croly argued for an active national government. Robert La Follette pioneered reforms in Wisconsin, and Theodore Roosevelt ran for president in 1912 on a Progressive Party ticket. The era saw a federal income tax, the direct election of senators and women's right to vote added to the US Constitution.
Variants
Historical progressivism mixed many groups and did not form a single movement. Some progressives focused on clean government, others on labor, public health or temperance. Modern progressivism in the United States overlaps with social democracy on economic policy and with social liberalism on civil rights. Outside the United States, the word is used more loosely for parties and movements that favor social change. Some progressives stress economic issues such as wages and health care, while others focus more on identity, gender, race or the environment.
Criticisms
Critics on the right argue that progressivism expands government too much, raises taxes and regulation, and weakens traditional values, families and religious communities. Libertarian critics argue that trust in expert-led government can limit individual freedom and markets. Critics on the left argue that some progressives accept capitalism too readily and prefer modest reforms to deeper change in ownership. Historians also note that parts of the early Progressive movement supported policies now widely rejected, such as eugenics laws and racial segregation in some areas.
In practice
Progressive ideas helped produce antitrust laws, food and drug safety rules, workplace safety laws and the Federal Reserve system in the United States. Ballot initiatives, referendums and primary elections spread in many US states during the Progressive Era. Later reform waves, including the New Deal and the civil rights laws of the 1960s, drew on progressive traditions. Today, progressive platforms in many countries include public health coverage, higher minimum wages, climate policy and anti-discrimination laws.