Progressivism:Breaking with the Founding Fathers

A comparison of Intellectual & Philosophical Thought

(1880-1920)

Rejection of Founding Principles & Policies

• Total in theory• Partial in Practice• Reasons:

– Closing of the Frontier– Industrial Revolution– Rise of Modern Corporation– Evolution– Enlightenment

Sense of Justice ChangedEvolution - Charles Darwin

Led To

Social Darwinism – Survival of the Fittest

Intellectual Rejection of Bible/Christian GodAnd the logic following it

Led To

Led To

The belief that modern business screws the poor, women & children

Progressivism

• Protecting social welfare

• Promoting moral improvement

• Creating economic reform

• Fostering efficiency

Interpreting all Sense of Justice according to Progressivist Beliefs

Four Overall Goals

Areas to be Compared

• Natural Law vs History• Purpose of Government• Social Compact vs State• God & Religion

• Limits of Government• Domestic Policy• Foreign Policy• Experts or

Representatives?

Don’t write this

Overall Belief of the ProgressivesThe Constitution and the Founding Fathers’ belief were good for the time. But now it’s too old. It doesn’t meet the needs of the modern age.

Overall Belief of the ProgressivesThe Constitution and the Founding Fathers’ belief were good for the time. But now it’s too old. It doesn’t meet the needs of the modern age.

Natural Law vs History

• Declaration– Life, Liberty, Happiness– Gift of God

• Natural moral order• Voluntary• Use talent to get and

keep property

• Declaration– Life, Liberty, Happiness– Gift of God

• Natural moral order• Voluntary• Use talent to get and

keep property

• Not born free• Made by humans• No standards• Historical relativism• Conform to history

• Not born free• Made by humans• No standards• Historical relativism• Conform to history

Founders Progressives

“We are obliged to respect those rights in others which we value in ourselves.”(Thomas Jefferson)

“Natural rights andnatural liberties exist only in the kingdom of mythologicalsocial zoology.” (John Dewey)

Purpose of Government

• Protect Individuals• Secure Natural Rights• Negative Rights• Leave you alone

• Protect Individuals• Secure Natural Rights• Negative Rights• Leave you alone

• Create Individuals• Government directs• Positive Rights• Tell you what to do

• Create Individuals• Government directs• Positive Rights• Tell you what to do

Founders Progressives

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” (James Madison)

“The state has the responsibility for creating institutions under which individuals can effectively realize the potentialities that aretheirs.” (John Dewey)

Consent and Compact - Basis of Society

Founders ProgressivesPolitical society is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: It is a social compact, by which the whole people Covenants with each citizen, and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good.

(Massachusetts Constitution of 1780)

Political society is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: It is a social compact, by which the whole people Covenants with each citizen, and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good.

(Massachusetts Constitution of 1780)

The individualistic ideas of the “natural right” school of political theory, endorsed in the Revolution, are discredited and repudiated…. The origin of the state is regarded, not as the result of a deliberate agreement among men, but as the result of historical development, instinctive rather than conscious; and rights are considered to have their source not in nature, but in law.(Charles Merriam)

The individualistic ideas of the “natural right” school of political theory, endorsed in the Revolution, are discredited and repudiated…. The origin of the state is regarded, not as the result of a deliberate agreement among men, but as the result of historical development, instinctive rather than conscious; and rights are considered to have their source not in nature, but in law.(Charles Merriam)

God and Religion

• Christianity/Bible or• Force behind natural

order (Deism)• God of nature gives

natural rights

• Christianity/Bible or• Force behind natural

order (Deism)• God of nature gives

natural rights

• Redefined: God is human freedom through gov’t or

• Doesn’t exist• Social Gospel

• Redefined: God is human freedom through gov’t or

• Doesn’t exist• Social Gospel

Founders Progressives

John Burgess, a prominent Progressive political scientist, wrote that the purpose of the state is the “perfection of humanity, the civilization of the world; the perfect development of the human reason and its attainment to universal command over individualism; the apotheosis of man” (no equal, man becoming God).

John Burgess, a prominent Progressive political scientist, wrote that the purpose of the state is the “perfection of humanity, the civilization of the world; the perfect development of the human reason and its attainment to universal command over individualism; the apotheosis of man” (no equal, man becoming God).

Limits on Government & the Private Sphere

• Freedom to associate• Reacted to religious

persecution• Gov’t limited• Private property protected

• Freedom to associate• Reacted to religious

persecution• Gov’t limited• Private property protected

• Tended to see state as divine (god-like)

• Private property seen as selfish (zero-sum fallacy)

• Most called themselves socialists (openly/privately)

• Tended to see state as divine (god-like)

• Private property seen as selfish (zero-sum fallacy)

• Most called themselves socialists (openly/privately)

Founders Progressives

“the ideal of government was for every man to be left alone and not interfered with, except when he interfered with somebody else; and that the best government was the government that did as little governing as possible.”(Woodrow Wilson)

“the ideal of government was for every man to be left alone and not interfered with, except when he interfered with somebody else; and that the best government was the government that did as little governing as possible.”(Woodrow Wilson)

“the most fundamental and indispensable mark of statehood” was “the original, absolute, unlimited, universal power over the individual subject, and all associations of subjects.”(John Burgess)

Domestic Policy

• Protect against violence• Rich/poor equal• Gov’t had burden of

proof for any limits• Licensing/zoning rare• Gov’t limited

• Protect against violence• Rich/poor equal• Gov’t had burden of

proof for any limits• Licensing/zoning rare• Gov’t limited

• Protect poor from rich & corporations

• Take as much control as possible

• Price controls• Regulations• Anti-trust laws

• Protect poor from rich & corporations

• Take as much control as possible

• Price controls• Regulations• Anti-trust laws

Founders Progressives

Foreign Policy

• Defensive• Stay out of business• Treaties to keep peace AND

be left alone• Strong defense to preserve

American lives & property

• Defensive• Stay out of business• Treaties to keep peace AND

be left alone• Strong defense to preserve

American lives & property

• “History” leads to freedom• Europe/America is most

modern and should lead• Rule less advanced• Totally racist• Imperialistic (TR, WW)

• “History” leads to freedom• Europe/America is most

modern and should lead• Rule less advanced• Totally racist• Imperialistic (TR, WW)

Founders Progressives

[T]he Teutonic races must civilize the politically uncivilized. They must have a colonial policy. Barbaric races, if incapable, may be swept away…. On the same principle, interference with the affairs of states not wholly barbaric, but nevertheless incapable of effecting political organization for themselves, is fully justified. (Charles Merriam)

[T]he Teutonic races must civilize the politically uncivilized. They must have a colonial policy. Barbaric races, if incapable, may be swept away…. On the same principle, interference with the affairs of states not wholly barbaric, but nevertheless incapable of effecting political organization for themselves, is fully justified. (Charles Merriam)

Who Should Rule, Experts or Representatives?

• Laws by elected officials• Trusted people• Common sense

• Laws by elected officials• Trusted people• Common sense

• Politics too complicated• Experts• Scientific• Educated in top

universities• Top-down gov’t• Centralized

• Politics too complicated• Experts• Scientific• Educated in top

universities• Top-down gov’t• Centralized

Founders Progressives

“most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society” (Madison).

Original Progressives

Theodore Roosevelt Woodrow Wilson

After Wilson

• Progressive became negative (dirty word)

• Changed label to liberal• Many Presidents called

themselves or were described as liberal

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

After 1980s

• Liberal now considered dirty word.

• Changed back to progressive

"I consider myself a modern progressive,“ "Someone who believes strongly in individual rights and freedoms, who believes that we are better as a society when we’re working together.“(Hillary Clinton) 2008 Presidential Campaign

"I consider myself a modern progressive,“ "Someone who believes strongly in individual rights and freedoms, who believes that we are better as a society when we’re working together.“(Hillary Clinton) 2008 Presidential Campaign

Obama?

“We have entered a new era of progressive politics which, if we do it right, can last 30 or 40 years,” Clinton said. “America has rapidly moved to another place on a lot of these issues.” (Bill Clinton) 2009

“We have entered a new era of progressive politics which, if we do it right, can last 30 or 40 years,” Clinton said. “America has rapidly moved to another place on a lot of these issues.” (Bill Clinton) 2009

Nancy Pelosi

• Speaker of the House of Representatives

• Progressive• 3rd in line to be

president

The President

As a progressive, Obama hews to the Wilsonian tradition.George WillMarch 11, 2010

As a progressive, Obama hews to the Wilsonian tradition.George WillMarch 11, 2010