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For other uses, see Progressivism (disambiguation).

Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of international social and political philosophies. Political philosophy is the study of questions about the City, Government, Politics, Liberty, Justice, Property, Rights The term progressive was first widely used in late 19th century America, in reference to a general branch of political thought which arose as a response to the vast changes brought by industrialization, and as an alternative both to the traditional conservative response to social and economic issues and to the various more or less radical streams of socialism and anarchism which opposed them. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Political parties such as the American Progressive Party organized at the start of the 20th century, and progressivism made great strides under American presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The United States Progressive Party of 1912 was a political party created by a split in the Republican Party in the presidential election of 1912. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T William Howard Taft (September 15 1857 – March 8 1930 was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. [1]

Progressivism historically advocates the advancement of workers' rights and social justice. Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of Legal rights and claimed Human rights having to do with Labor relations between Workers Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a Society in which Justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than The progressives were early proponents of anti-trust laws, regulation of large corporations and monopolies, as well as government-funded environmentalism and the creation of National Parks and Wildlife Refuges. In Economics, a monopoly (from Greek monos, alone or single + polein, to sell exists when a specific individual or enterprise has sufficient Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain Protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Contents

Tenets

Many of the principles that were laid out by early progressives continue to be the hallmarks of contemporary progressive politics. While the precise criteria for what constitutes progressivism varies somewhat worldwide, below is a list of the most common tenets. [2]

Democracy

Many progressives hoped to make government in the U. S. more responsive to the direct voice of the American people by instituting the following institutional reforms:

Initiative
A procedure whereby ordinary citizens could propose laws for consideration by their state legislatures or by the voters directly. In Political science, the initiative (also known as popular or citizen's initiative) provides a means by which a Petition signed by a certain In the United States of America, a state legislature is a generic term referring to the legislative body of any of the country's 50 states.
Direct primary
A procedure whereby political party nominations for public office were made directly by a vote of rank-and-file members of the party rather than by party bosses. A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates
Direct election of U.S. Senators
A procedure to allow the citizens in each state to directly elect their Senators. Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person persons or political party that they desire to The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Previously, Senators were chosen by the state legislatures. Direct election of Senators was achieved with the addition of the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1913). The Seventeenth Amendment ( Amendment XVII) of the United States Constitution was passed by the Senate on June 12 1911 and by the House on May 13 1912
Referendum
A procedure whereby citizens could vote directly to rescind a law which was passed by the legislature. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita
Recall
A procedure by which a public official could be removed from office by a direct vote of the citizens.
Secret ballot
A procedure by which citizens could keep their votes secret. The secret ballot is a voting method in which a Voter 's choices are confidential Previously, voting was a public act witnessed by others. The voting records of individual citizens were recorded and made public. Many progressives argued that public voting allowed for voter intimidation. An employer, for instance, might require his employees to vote for certain candidates on pain of losing their jobs.
Women's suffrage
Granting to women the right to vote. Women's suffrage was achieved with the addition of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920). The Nineteenth Amendment ( Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits each of the states and the federal government from

The progressives achieved their greatest and most enduring successes in the effort to make governments more democratic.

Efficiency

Many progressives hoped to make American governments better able to serve the people's needs by making governmental operations and services more efficient and rational. Reforms included:

Professional administrators
Many progressives argued that governments would function better if they were placed under the direction of trained, professional administrators. Public administration can be broadly described as the development implementation and study of branches of government Policy. (This practice is derided by some opponents as the "nanny state," and more cynically is seen by some as the inclination toward the rise of dictators, the ultimate government professional. ) One example of progressive reform was the rise of the city manager system, in which paid, professional administrators ran the day-to-day affairs of city governments under guidelines established by elected city councils. A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a City, in a council-manager form of city government A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town.
Centralization of decision-making process
Many progressives sought to make government more rational through centralized decision-making. Centralization (or centralisation) is the process by which the activities of an organization particularly those regarding decision-making become concentrated within Governments were reorganized to reduce the number of officials and to eliminate overlapping areas of authority between departments. City governments were reorganized to reduce the power of local wards within the city and to increase the powers of the city council. Governments at every level began developing budgets to help them plan their expenditures (rather than spending money haphazardly as needs arose and revenue became available). The drive for centralization was often associated with the rise of professional administrators.
Movements to eliminate governmental corruption
Corruption represented a source of waste and inefficiency in government. Many progressives worked to clean up local governments by eliminating the power of machine politicians and urban political bosses. A political machine is an unofficial system of a political organization based on Patronage, the Spoils system, "behind-the-scenes" control and longstanding Often this was associated with the effort to restructure the ward system. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district Power was transferred from urban bosses to professional administrators.

The progressives' quest for efficiency was sometimes at odds with the progressives' quest for democracy. Taking power out of the hands of elected officials and placing that power in the hands of professional administrators reduced the voice of the people in government. Centralized decision-making and reduced power for local wards made government more distant and isolated from the people it served. Progressives who emphasized the need for efficiency sometimes argued that an elite class of administrators knew better what the people needed than did the people themselves.

Regulation of large corporations and monopolies

Many progressives hoped that by regulating large corporations they could liberate human energies from the restrictions imposed by industrial capitalism. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where Yet the progressive movement was split over which of the following four solutions should be used to regulate corporations:

Trust-busting
Some progressives argued that industrial monopolies were unnatural economic institutions which suppressed the competition which was necessary for progress and improvement. Trust-busting is any government activity designed to break up trusts or monopolies. The federal government should intervene by breaking up monopolies into smaller companies, thereby restoring competition. The government should then withdraw and allow marketplace forces once again to regulate the economy. President Woodrow Wilson supported this idea.
Regulation
Some progressives argued that in a modern economy, large corporations and even monopolies were both inevitable and desirable. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area With their massive resources and economies of scale, large corporations offered the U. S. advantages which smaller companies could not offer. Yet, these large corporations might abuse their great power. The federal government should allow these companies to exist but regulate them for the public interest. President Theodore Roosevelt generally supported this idea.
Socialism
Some progressives believed that privately owned companies could never be made to serve the public interest. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Therefore, the federal government should acquire ownership of large corporations and operate them for the public interest.
Laissez-Faire
A few progressives, those who did not espouse marxist ideologies of any sort, argued that marketplace forces were the best regulators. Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” A company which paid low wages or maintained an unsafe work environment would be forced to change its policies by the loss of workers. A company which made an unsafe product would eventually lose customers and go bankrupt. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against In the long run, a free market would best protect the public interest. A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers
Many such laissez-faire progressives also saw excessive corporate power as economically unnatural, being bulwarked by limited liability, strong patent and copyright protection, corporate bailouts, heavy tariffs and subsidies, legally sanctioned union busting practices, etc. Limited liability is a concept whereby a person's financial Liability is limited to a fixed sum most commonly the value of a person's investment in a company or partnership For other uses of this word see Tariff (disambiguation. A tariff is a tax imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary In Economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector Union busting is a practice that is undertaken by an employer or their agents to prevent employees from joining a labor union, or to disempower subvert or destroy unions , even in the absence of out-and-out statutory monopolies. A legal monopoly, statutory monopoly, or de jure monopoly is a Monopoly that is protected by law from competition They felt that weakening (or removing) these bulwarks would render anti-trust actions largely unnecessary, and that absent such reform, even well-meaning attempts at regulation would ere long fall victim to corporate rent seeking and regulatory capture. In Economics, rent seeking occurs when an individual organization or firm seeks to make money by manipulating the economic and/or legal environment rather than by trade and Regulatory capture is a term used to refer to situations in which a Government regulatory agency created to act in the public interest instead acts in favor of the commercial

The laissez-faire and socialist approaches were less popular among American progressives than the trust-busting and regulatory approaches.

Social justice

Many progressives have supported both private and governmental action to help people in need (social justice). Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a Society in which Justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than Social justice reforms have included:

Development of professional social workers
The idea that welfare and charity work should be undertaken by professionals who are trained to do the job. Social work is a discipline involving the application of Social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people groups and societies Welfare is financial assistance paid to people by governments
The building of Settlement Houses
These were residential, community centers operated by social workers and volunteers and located in inner city slums. For the organisations for kibbutzim and moshavim see Settlement movement (Israel The settlement movement was involved in the creation of "settlement A slum, as defined by the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security The purpose of the settlement houses was to raise the standard of living of urbanites by providing schools, day care centers, and cultural enrichment programs. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population Day care or child care is care of a child during the Day by a person other than the child's Parents or Legal guardians typically someone outside
The enactment of child labor laws
Child labor laws were designed to prevent the overworking of children in the newly emerging industries. Child labor is the employment of Children at regular and sustained labour The goal of these laws was to give working-class children the opportunity to go to school and to mature more naturally, thereby liberating the potential of humanity and encouraging the advancement of humanity. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types
Support for the goals of organized labor
Progressives often supported such goals as the eight-hour work day, improved safety and health conditions in factories, workers compensation laws, minimum wage laws, and unionization. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Workers' compensation (colloquially known as workers' comp in North America or compo in Australia) a form of Insurance that provides A minimum wage is the lowest hourly daily or monthly Wage that employers may legally pay to employees or workers A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming
Prohibition laws
Some of the progressives adopted the cause of prohibition. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol They claimed the consumption of alcohol limited mankind's potential for advancement. In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon Progressives achieved success in this area with the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1919. Amendment XVIII (the Eighteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, along with the Volstead Act (which defined "intoxicating liquors"

Conservationism

During the term of the progressive President Theodore Roosevelt (1901 – 1909), the largest government-funded conservation-related projects in U. S. history were undertaken:

National parks and wildlife refuges
On March 14, 1903, President Roosevelt created the first National Bird Preserve, (the beginning of the Wildlife Refuge system), on Pelican Island, Florida. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the In all, by 1909, the Roosevelt administration had created an unprecedented 42 million acres (170,000 km²) of national forests, 53 national wildlife refuges and 18 areas of "special interest", including the Grand Canyon. "National forest" redirects here for the National Forest in England see National Forest England; for those in Brazil see List of Brazilian National Forests National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain Protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The Grand Canyon

In addition, Roosevelt passed the Newland Act of 1902, which gave subsidies for irrigation in sixteen western states. Another conservation-oriented bill was the Antiquities Act of 1906 that protected large areas of land. The Antiquities Act of 1906 officially An Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities (16 USC 431-433 is an act passed by the United States The Inland Waterways Commission was established in 1907 to control the United States' streams and waterways. [3]

Worldwide impact

Americas

Canada

Western Canada at the turn of the 20th century began to receive an influx of political ideas. From the United States came progressivism. The Progressive Party of Canada was founded in 1920 by Thomas Crerar, a former Minister of Agriculture in the Unionist government of Robert Borden. The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s Thomas Alexander Crerar PC, CC, LLD ( June 17, 1876 &ndash April 11, 1975) was a western Canadian The Minister of Agriculture (Ministre de l’Agriculture is a Minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, who is responsible for overseeing several organizations The Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by Members of Parliament (MPs in Canada who supported the "Union government" formed by Sir Robert Borden Not to be confused with his cousin Frederick Borden, Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence from 1896 to 1911 Crerar quit the Borden cabinet in 1919 because Minister of Finance Thomas White introduced a budget that did not pay sufficient attention to farmers' issues. Crerar became the first leader of the Progressive Party, and led it to win 65 seats in the 1921 general election. The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament

Dating back to 1854, Canada's oldest political party was the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, until it was dissolved in 2003. The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ( PC) ( Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) ( 1867 – 2003) was a Canadian The PC Party generally followed a centre-right agenda, with conservative pro-business policies, but was progressive in its opposition to the Apartheid regime of South Africa and support for the introduction of the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Ontario Code of Human Rights. The centre-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals political parties or organizations (such as Think tanks whose views The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Canadian Bill of Rights is a federal statute and Bill of rights enacted by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker 's government on August 10 The PC party adopted the "Progressive Conservative" party name in 1942 when Manitoba Premier John Bracken, a long-time leader of that province's Progressive Party, agreed to become leader of the Conservatives on condition that the party add Progressive to its name. Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116  sq mi of North America In Canada, a premier is the Head of government of a province or territory. John Bracken, PC ( June 22, 1883 - March 18, 1969) was an agronomist Premier of Manitoba (1922-1943 and leader Despite the name change, most former Progressive supporters continued to support the Liberal Party or the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF (French Fédération du commonwealth coopératif, then Parti social démocratique du Canada) was a Canadian After defeat and scandal plagued the PCs in the election of 1993, they lost their position as Canada's main conservative party to the populist and social conservative Reform Party of Canada. The Canadian federal election of 1993 (officially the 35th general election) was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons Social conservatism is a political or moral ideology that affirms the government's role in encouraging or enforcing traditional values or behaviors in the belief that these are what The Reform Party of Canada ( Parti réformiste du Canada) was a Canadian federal Political party that existed from 1987 to 2000 In 2003, Canada's oldest political party was dissolved along with the much larger Canadian Alliance (which had been formed by the Reform Party in 1999) to create the new Conservative Party of Canada. The Canadian Alliance (in French Alliance Canadienne) formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (or in French Alliance réformiste-conservateur The Conservative Party of Canada ( Parti conservateur du Canada) colloquially known as the " Tories " is a conservative The Progressive Canadian Party, composed mostly of anti-merger Progressive Conservatives, was formed several months prior to the 2004 general election. Founding and 2004 election Following the dissolution of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and its merger with the Canadian Alliance into the The Canadian federal election 2004 (more formally the 38th General Election) was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of

United States 
Main article: Progressivism in the United States

Progressive political parties were created in the United States on three different occasions. In US history the term Progressivism refers to a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century The first of these - the Progressive Party, founded in 1912 by President Theodore Roosevelt - was the most successful third party in modern American history. The United States Progressive Party of 1912 was a political party created by a split in the Republican Party in the presidential election of 1912. The other two were the Progressive Party founded in 1924 and the Progressive Party founded in 1948, which were less successful. The United States Progressive Party of 1924 was a continuation of the 1912 Progressive party with few changes in leadership at the state or local levels and keeping many of the same officers The United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a political party that ran former Vice President Henry A

From the New Deal to the 1960s, the progressive movement was largely subsumed into modern American liberalism. The New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D Modern liberalism in the United States, also referred to as American liberalism, is a political ideology that seeks to use the power of the state to effect change upon society After the 1960s, however, progressives grew increasingly unhappy with the direction of the liberal movement and the leadership of the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. On the one hand, progressives agreed with many of the concerns of the New Left, such as environmental conservation. The New Left were the Left-wing movements in different countries in the 1960s and 1970s that unlike the earlier leftist focus on union activism instead adopted a The conservation movement also known as nature conservation is a political social and to some extent scientific movement that seeks to protect natural resources including On the other hand, they preserved their commitment to the original progressive issues, such as workers' rights, which liberals grew less interested in. Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of Legal rights and claimed Human rights having to do with Labor relations between Workers And finally, progressives also began advocating entirely new ideas - for example electoral reform (including proportional representation) and campaign finance reform. Electoral reform is change in Electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in Politics, primarily in Political As many American progressives felt disenfranchised from the contemporary American liberal movement, they sought to establish their own separate political organizations. One prominent example is the Vermont Progressive Party. The Vermont Progressive Party is an American Political party.

Asia

While the term "progressive" is not as popular in most parts of Asia as it is in North America and Europe, there are political parties and organizations that advocate for many of the tenets of progressivism, such as the Progressive Writers' Movement. The Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind or Progressive Writers' Movement was a progressive literary movement in the pre-partition British India

China 

In the People's Republic of China (PRC), individuals are elected to government via a series of indirect elections in which one people's congress appoints the members of the next higher congress, and in which only the lowest people's congresses are subject to direct popular vote. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES This means that although independent members can theoretically, and occasionally in practice, get elected to the lowest level of people's congresses, it is impossible for them to organize to elect members to the next higher people's congress without the approval of the ruling party, or to even exercise oversight over executive positions at the lowest level in the hierarchy. This lack of effective power also discourages outsiders from contesting the people's congress elections even at the lowest level. As well, control is often maintained over the civilian population through regulation of information, propaganda and censorship (see Propaganda in the People's Republic of China). Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable harmful or sensitive as determined by a censor Propaganda in the People's Republic of China refers to the PRC 's use of messages designed to influence public opinion These aspects of China's government run counter to many of the fundamental tenets of progressivism, and thus there is no major contemporary progressive party in power there. [4] In 1998, Chinese activists formed the Chinese Democracy Party which advocated for progressive government reforms. China Democracy Party (CDP ( is a political party that started in the People's Republic of China, and banned by the Communist Party of China (CPC Since then, founding members of the party, such as Zha Jianguo, have been rounded up and imprisoned by the Chinese government for allegedly "subverting the state". [5]

India 

In India there are a large number of political parties which exist on either a state-wide or national basis. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The United Progressive Alliance, as the current ruling political alliance in India, comprises leftist political parties which lean towards socialism and/or communism. United Progressive Alliance ( UPA) is the present ruling coalition of political parties heading the Government of India. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Thus, the definition of "progressivism" may be interpreted differently in India, as communism was not a branch of thought that played any major role in the original western progressive movement. Furthermore, on a social level the leftist parties in India do not espouse policies that would be considered progressive in the West, though policies in regards to caste system, worker's rights, and women's rights are far more progressive than the non-progressive Indian parties which often appeal to Hindu fundamentalism based in a sense of a thousand year injustice against Hindus by outsiders. The alliance is externally supported (supporters are not part of the government) by the four main leftist parties; Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc. BamfronttripuraJPG|thumb|right| West Bengal Left Front Committee meeting for solidarity with Tripura]] The Left Front ( Bengali: বাম ফ্রন্ট The Communist Party of India (Marxist (abbreviated CPI(M or CPM) is a Political party in India. The Communist Party of India (CPI is a Political party in India. Revolutionary Socialist Party is a Marxist-Leninist Political party in India. The All India Forward Bloc is a leftwing nationalist Political party in India. In order to coordinate the cooperation, a UPA-Left Coordination Committee has been formed. The Indian National Congress is currently the chief member of the United Progressive Alliance coalition. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India.

Pacific

Australia 

In the past few years in Australia, the term "progressive" has been used to refer to what used to be called "The Third Way". The term is popular in Australia, and is often used in place of "social liberal". The term "liberalism" has become associated with free markets, small government, and personal freedom; in other words "classical liberalism". Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism, Laissez-faire liberalism, Market liberalism or in much of the world Progressivism, however, means in part advocating big government that does not involve central planning. [6]

New Zealand 

The current Prime Minister of New Zealand - Helen Clark, leader of the Labour Party - announced in 2005 that she had come to a complex arrangement that led to a formal coalition consisting of the Labour Party and Jim Anderton, the New Zealand Progressive Party's MP. James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton (born 21 January 1938) is leader of the Progressive Party, a Political party The Progressive Party is a Political party in New Zealand. It is presently the junior partner in the governing coalition being somewhat to the left of A further arrangement has been made with the Green Party, which has given a commitment not to vote against the government on confidence and supply.

Jim Anderton formed the Progressive Party after splitting from the Alliance Party. James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton (born 21 January 1938) is leader of the Progressive Party, a Political party The Alliance, in New Zealand politics, is a Left-wing political party The Progressive Party states a particular focus on the creation of jobs, and has said that it is committed to achieving full employment. They seek to raise the legal age of alcohol consumption to 20. They are pro-environment, and list free education and free healthcare as other policy objectives. [7]

The Progressive Green Party was formed in 1995 but has now disbanded. The Progressive Green Party was an Environmentalist political party in New Zealand.

Relation to other political ideologies

Liberalism

The term "progressive" is today often used in place of "liberal". Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Although the two are related in some ways, they are separate and distinct political ideologies. According to John Halpin, senior advisor on the staff of the Center for American Progress, "Progressivism is an orientation towards politics, It's not a long-standing ideology like liberalism, but an historically-grounded concept. The Center for American Progress is an American liberal political policy research and advocacy organization . . that accepts the world as dynamic. " Progressives see progressivism as an attitude towards the world of politics that is broader than conservatism vs. liberalism, and as an attempt to break free from what they consider to be a false and divisive dichotomy. [8][9]

Cultural Liberalism is ultimately founded on a concept of natural rights and civil liberties, and the belief that the major purpose of the government is to protect those rights. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. Liberals are often called "left-wing", as opposed to "right-wing" conservatives. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The progressive school, as a unique branch of contemporary political thought, tends to advocate certain center-left or left-wing views that may conflict with mainstream liberal views, despite the fact that modern liberalism and progressivism may still both support many of the same policies (such as the concept of war as a general last resort). War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units

American progressives tend to support interventionist economics: they advocate income redistribution, and they oppose the growing influence of corporations. Income redistribution refers to a political policy intended to even the amount of income individuals are permitted to earn Conversely, European and Australian progressives tend to be more pro-business, and will often have policies that are soft on taxation of large corporations. Progressives are in agreement on an international scale with left-liberalism in that they support organized labor and trade unions, they usually wish to introduce a living wage, and they often support the creation of a universal health care system. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Living wage is a term used to describe the minimum hourly wage necessary for a person to achieve some specific standard of living Universal health care is health care coverage which is extended to all eligible residents of a governmental region Yet progressives tend to be more concerned with environmentalism than mainstream liberals, and are often more skeptical of the government, positioning themselves as whistleblowers and advocates of governmental reform. This is an article about a term For the 2008 RTÉ drama see Whistleblower (TV series. Finally, liberals are more likely to support the Democratic Party in America and the Labour party in Europe and Australia, while progressives tend to feel disillusioned with any two-party system, and vote more often for third-party candidates. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party.

Libertarianism

Libertarians do not advocate social change per se but rather support a hands-off approach to government, advocating that people form voluntary associations with other, like-minded people to influence the direction of society. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the

Some libertarians also utilize the laws of mathematics to prove out that attempts to produce social justice are inherently flawed. For example, Brink Lindsey, an economist working with the Cato Institute, argues in favor of free market capitalism and claims that progressive economic policies (such as minimum wages, most social safety nets, and trade barriers) help to increase unemployment among the poor and unskilled, as well as increase costs for all members of society. Brink Lindsey is the Cato Institute 's Vice president for research The Cato Institute is a Libertarian Think tank headquartered in Washington D A minimum wage is the lowest hourly daily or monthly Wage that employers may legally pay to employees or workers A trade barrier is a general term that describes any government policy or regulation that restricts International trade.

Conservatism

Conservatives, by default, advocate established traditions and social stability. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of They are skeptical of notions of "progress" and social change -- in any direction -- believing that it is best to retain social relations that have been proven stable by past experience.

Conservative economist Bruce Bartlett believes that today's conservatives have forgotten that big business is often the enemy of free markets. Bruce Bartlett (b October 11, 1951 in Ann Arbor Michigan) is a historian who turned to writing about Supply-side economics. He argues that big business seeks special privileges from the state to protect their market, create new demands for their product, or make the taxpayers subsidize their operating costs. Therefore, the trust-busting and anti-monopoly policies of progressivism serve to help the marketplace. [10]

Author Gary Sauer-Thompson argues that contemporary progressives see a flexible, open market economy supported by strong public services as the best means to achieving social justice. In common with the liberal tradition, modern progressivism aspires to a society that is also open – economically, intellectually and culturally – in which individuals and their families can progress on the basis of their aspirations and hard work, and are not held back by family background or circumstance. [11]

Socialism

Socialism (in the strict or radical sense) aims to establish a fundamentally different society from the one that currently exists in most countries. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution While there are different schools of socialism, which often tend to have differing views of the ideal socialist society, some general examples of socialist concepts are: The desire to abolish capitalism, to place the means of production under the collective ownership of the people, and to achieve a very high degree of economic and political equality. Means Of Production is a compilation of Aim 's early 12" and EP releases recorded between 1995 and 1998 Socialists argue that capitalism exploits the working class, and they desire for workers to play a vital role in moving society from capitalism to socialism (either by rising up in a revolution or general strike, or by voting en masse for socialist political parties). The term " exploitation " may carry two distinct meanings The act of utilizing something for any purpose Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types A proletarian revolution is a social and/or political Revolution in which the Working class attempts to overthrow the Bourgeoisie. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country

In contrast, by definition progressivism aims to achieve gradual social change, and most progressives are outright opposed to any form of violent revolution. When the progressive movement split on economic principles, some progressives moved towards the socialist camp, advocating a planned economy. A planned economy or directed economy is an Economic system in which the Government or Workers' councils manages the Economy. Other progressives moved towards the regulated mixed economy camp, with both public and private ownership of companies. A mixed economy is an Economic system that incorporates aspects of more than one economic system Between these two extremes is social democracy, a branch of socialism that became increasingly moderate and moved towards the political center. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left In Politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting Moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes Regulated-capitalism progressives and socialist progressives still tend to support similar progressive social policies, outside of economic principles. Socialist Party USA is an example of an organization with both democratic socialist and social democratic wings. The Socialist Party USA (SP USA is one of the heirs to the Socialist Party of America of Eugene V

However, the relationship between progressivism and socialism as described here has often been a tense one. An example of this tension can be seen in the conflict between the Progressive Party of Theodore Roosevelt and the Socialist Party of Eugene V. Debs in the United States. The United States Progressive Party of 1912 was a political party created by a split in the Republican Party in the presidential election of 1912. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T The Socialist Party of America (SPA was a socialist Political party in the United States. Eugene Victor Debs (November 5 1855 &ndash October 20 1926 was an American union leader one of the founding members of the International Labor Union and the Industrial

Partial list of progressive advocates

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Progressivism. Laura Jane Addams (September 6 1860 &ndash May 21 1935 was a founder of the U Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5 1856 &ndash November 14 1915 was an American educator orator author and leader of the African-American community Ross C "Rocky" Anderson (born September 9, 1951) is the former Mayor of Salt Lake City Utah. Susan Brownell Anthony ( February 15, 1820 &ndash March 13, 1906) was a prominent American Civil rights leader who played Ray Stannard Baker ( April 17, 1870 – July 12, 1946) also known by his Pen name David Grayson, was a American William Edgar Borah ( June 29, 1865 near Fairfield, Illinois &ndash January 19, 1940 Washington D Louis Dembitz Brandeis ( November 13, 1856 – October 5, 1941) was an American litigator, Supreme Court Justice, advocate Alan Brinkley is the Allan Nevins Professor of History at Columbia University, where he was also Provost from 2003-2008 Sherrod Campbell Brown (born November 9 1952) is the junior United States Senator from the state of Ohio, and a member Peter Miguel Camejo ( December 31, 1939, New York City – September 13, 2008, Folsom California) was an American Avram Noam Chomsky (noʊm ˈtʃɑmski born December 7 1928 is an American linguist, Philosopher, cognitive scientist, Political John Dewey (October 20 1859 &ndash June 1 1952 was an American Philosopher, Psychologist, and educational reformer, whose thoughts and ideas have Paul Howard Douglas (March 26 1892 &ndash September 24 1976 was an American politician and University of Chicago economist. Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser ( August 27 1871 &ndash December 28 1945) was an American novelist and journalist Barbara Ehrenreich (born August 26, 1941, in Butte Montana) is an American Feminist, Socialist and political activist Charles William Eliot ( March 20 1834 &ndash August 22 1926) was an American Academic who was selected as Harvard's Russell Dana "Russ" Feingold (born March 2, 1953) is an American politician from the U Thomas Frank (born 1965 is an American author and journalist who writes about politics, Culture, and the relationship between these phenomena Alan Stuart "Al" Franken (born May 21 1951 is an Emmy Award –winning American Comedian, Writer, progressive Amy Goodman (born April 13 1957 in Bay Shore / New York) is an American broadcast journalist, Syndicated columnist and Author David Goodman may refer to David Goodman (politician, member of the Ohio Senate David A Stephen Jay Gould (September 10 1941 &ndash May 20 2002 was a prominent American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (grəˈvɛl (born May 13 1930 is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from Thomas Emmet Hayden (born December 11 1939) is an American social and political activist and politician most famous for his involvement Edward S Herman (born 7 April 1925) is an economist and media analyst with a specialty in corporate and regulatory issues as well as political economy and the media Alfie Kohn (October 15 1957 is an American Lecturer and author in the fields of Education, Psychology and Parenting. Dennis John Kucinich (kuˈsɪnɪtʃ (born October 8[[ 946]] is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and was a candidate for William "Wild Bill" Langer ( September 30 1886 November 8 1959) was a prominent American Politician from Robert Marion La Follette Sr nicknamed "Fighting Bob" La Follette ( June 14, 1855 June 20, 1925) was an American Robert McChesney may refer to Robert D McChesney, scholar on the history of Central Asia Iran and Afghanistan Robert W George Stanley McGovern David McReynolds (born October 25, 1929) is an American democratic socialist and pacifist activist who described himself as "a peace movement Wayne Lyman Morse ( October 20, 1900 – July 22, 1974) was a United States Senator from Oregon from 1945 until Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President John Bertram Oakes ( April 23, 1913 &ndash April 5, 2001) was an Iconoclastic and influential U Floyd Bjørnstjerne Olson ( November 13, 1891 August 22, 1936) was an American Politician. Gregory Allyn Palast (born 1952 is a New York Times -bestselling author and a journalist for the British Broadcasting Corporation as well as Christian Parenti is an American investigative journalist and author John Richard Pilger (born October 9, 1939) is a multi-award-winning Australian born journalist and documentary filmmaker from Walter Rauschenbusch ( October 4, 1861 - July 25, 1918) was a Christian Theologian and Baptist Minister Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (ˈɛlɪnɔr ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 11 1884 &ndash November 7 1962 Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T Bernard "Bernie" Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is the junior United States Senator from Vermont, elected on November Margaret Higgins Sanger ( September 14, 1879 &ndash September 6, 1966) was an American Birth control activist an advocate Upton Beall Sinclair Jr ( September 20, 1878 &ndash November 25, 1968) was a Pulitzer Norman Solomon (born 1951 is an United States Journalist, media critic and antiwar activist. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (November 12 1815 &ndash October 26 1902 was an American social activist and leading figure of the early woman's movement. Joseph Lincoln Steffens ( April 6 1866 &ndash August 9 1936) was an American journalist and one of the most famous and influential William Howard Taft (September 15 1857 – March 8 1930 was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice Ida Minerva Tarbell ( November 5 1857 &ndash January 6 1944) was a American Teacher, Author and Journalist. Glen Hearst Taylor ( April 12, 1904 – April 28, 1984) was a colorful and controversial Politician, businessman and United States Thorstein Bunde Veblen (born Tosten Bunde Veblen July 30, 1857 &ndash August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American sociologist Henry Agard Wallace (October 7 1888 &ndash November 18 1965 was the thirty-third Vice President of the United States (1941&ndash45 the eleventh Secretary of James Ward redirects here For other people with this name see James Ward (disambiguation James Allen Ward VC ( June 14 Ida Bell Wells ( July 16, 1862 &ndash March 25, 1931) aka Ida B Paul David Wellstone ( July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was a two-term U Burton Kendall Wheeler ( February 27, 1882 &ndash January 6, 1975) was a Montana politician of the Democratic Party and Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. Frank P Zeidler ( September 20 1912 &ndash July 7 2006) was an American Socialist and Mayor of Milwaukee Educational progressivism is the belief that education must be based on the principle that humans are Social animals who learn best in real-life activities with other The New Left were the Left-wing movements in different countries in the 1960s and 1970s that unlike the earlier leftist focus on union activism instead adopted a The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05. . Retrieved on 2006-11-18. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull
  2. ^ Progressivism 1900 - 1920. Georgetown College. Retrieved on 2006-11-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published
  3. ^ "Conservationist - Life of Theodore Roosevelt". Theodore Roosevelt Association. Retrieved on 2006-11-18. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull
  4. ^ Boum, Aomar (1999). Journal of Political Ecology: Case Studies in History and Society. Retrieved April 18, 2006.
  5. ^ Zha, Jianying "Enemy of the State", "The New Yorker" (April 23, 2007)
  6. ^ Gary Sauer-Thompson weblog 3-17-07
  7. ^ Policies. New Zealand Progressive Party. Retrieved on 2006-11-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published
  8. ^ "What Is Progressivism?". Andrew Garib. Retrieved on 2006-11-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published
  9. ^ "Progressive versus Liberal". Untergeek. com. Retrieved on 2006-11-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published
  10. ^ Bravo Bruce Bartlett. Lew Rockwell 2007. . Retrieved on 2007-03-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor.
  11. ^ Progressivism + Liberalism. Gary Sauer-Thompson 3-19-07. . Retrieved on 2007-03-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem.

References

External links

Dictionary

progressivism

-noun

  1. A political ideology that favours progress towards better conditions in society
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