Progressivism in America: Past, Present, and Future

by David Woolner, Jack Thompson

Overview

For several decades conservatives set the political agenda in the United States, allowing them to focus the conversation on topics such as tax cuts, national security, and social issues. It is increasingly becoming apparent, however, that this has begun to change. Factors such as the election of the first African-American President and the increasing diversity of the population, the dramatic rise of income inequality, and the social liberalism of younger Americans indicate that progressive political ideas are more influential today than at any point in four decades. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive overview of progressive politics, combining historical analysis, a discussion of policy priorities today, and a survey of the challenges ahead. Featuring essays by leading scholars, analysts, and commentators, it is an indispensable guide to the ideas and debates that will shape American politics in the coming years.

With contributions from Joseph Stiglitz, E.J. Dionne, Jonathan Alter, Jacob Hacker, and Rosa Brooks

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190231415
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	10/27/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

David B. Woolner is Senior Fellow and Resident Historian of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, Senior Fellow of the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College, and Associate Professor of History at Marist College. He is the author of FDR: The Last 100 Days, forthcoming from Basic Books and is co-editor with Warren Kimball and David Reynolds of FDR's World: War, Peace and Legacies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008)

John M. Thompson is Assistant Lecturer at the Clinton Institute for American Studies, University College Dublin. He is co-editor of America's Transatlantic Turn: Theodore Roosevelt and the "Discovery" of Europe (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).

Table of Contents

Preface & Acknowledgements

Introduction
David B. Woolner and John M. Thompson

Part One: Antecedents
Chapter One
TR, Wilson and the Origins of Progressivism, by Charles Postel
Chapter Two
Franklin Roosevelt and the Progressive Tradition, by Alan Brinkley and David B. Woolner
Chapter Three
From the Politics of Hope to the Politics of Frustration: FDR's Legacy and the Quandaries of Postwar Liberalism, by Kevin Mattson
Chapter Four
Progressive Politics and the Rise of the Modern Right, by John M. Thompson

Part Two: Progressive Politics Today
Chapter Five
Progressivism and Government: Building the Case for a Dignified and Decent Life for All, by Jeff Madrick
Chapter Six
Rebuilding Financial Reform after the 2008 Crisis, by Mike Konczal
Chapter Seven
Reopening the American Political System, by Mark Schmitt
Chapter Eight
Insecurity, Austerity, and the American Social Contract, by Jacob Hacker
Chapter Nine
Labor, Race, Gender, and Poverty in America, by Dorian Warren
Chapter Ten
Crafting A Progressive Foreign Policy in Today's World, by Rosa Brooks
Chapter Eleven
The Progressive Tradition and the Problem of Global Warming, by Mark Lytle
Chapter Twelve
Bringing Human Rights and Women's Rights Home: From the Roosevelt Era to the Present, by Ellen Chesler

Part Three: Critiques
Chapter Thirteen
Barack Obama: Progressive? by Jonathan Alter
Chapter Fourteen
Really Existing Progressivism: Its Strengths and Weaknesses in America, by Christopher Caldwell

Part Four: The Future of Progressive Politics
Chapter Fifteen
A Progressive Agenda for the Twenty-first Century, by Joe Stiglitz
Chapter Sixteen
The Way Forward: Progressive Problems, Progressive Hopes, by E. J. Dionne Jr. and Elizabeth Thom