Progressivism in America Past, Present, and Future

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.

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).