Product Description

This collection of writings by prominent politicians, authors, and activists of the Progressive Era explores Progressivism's role in the development of American political thought. Pestritto and Atto provide insight into each figure's influence on Progressive Era American politics by introducing each entry with the context within which the author of a given selection is writing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19602 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 340 pages

Customer Reviews

Progressivism in the words of Progressives
Progressivism is a term that has been drained of a lot of meaning these days, as people use the term in ways that often depart from the classical version, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century and extending into the 20th century. This is an edited work, by Ronald Pestritto and William Atto, with snippets from a variety of Progressives, providing a solid sampling of exemplars of this movement. The editors note the method that they adopted (Page ix): "We have been guided in our selection of texts by a desire to focus largely on the national progressives whose writing and speeches have had an influence in shaping the politics of our own time."

The book is divided into several sections. The first, The Principles of Progressivism. Selections are come from Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and public administration scholar Frank Goodnow. The second section, Progressive Interpretation of History, features works by Frederick Jackson Turner and Charles Beard. One target of many Progressives was the Constitution, as they contended that it limited the ability of government to address major problems. Thus, questioning the Constitution was one route taken by academics. Beard, for instance, contended that the Constitution was an economic document designed to protect the property of the Founders and their allies. Part III, Social Justice, Social Gospel, and Education. One key character here is Walter Rauschenbusch, who argued that religious values spoke to the need for government to use its power for the good of the people, including limiting the power of property. John Dewey's well known work on education also appears in this segment of the book.

Part IV, Leadership and the American Presidency. What makes this part interesting is the views of Progressives who became Presidents--TR and Wilson. Other sections follow.

All in all, a pretty good selection of articles. Some of the selections are probably too short to provide the reader a good sense of the author's work. But, tough choices have to be made if you're editing a book. Too lengthy a set of items means fewer items that would appear and less of a sampling. In the end, a solid introduction to Progressives.

Great intro to a topic of continuing, and immense, importance
Pestritto and Atto do an excellent job of summarizing the fundamentals of the American Progressive movement in this compilation. The selected excerpts from notable progressives of the early 20th century (Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt, Adams, Croly, and others) go a long way to introducing the reader to the roots of progressivism via concrete sources, while supporting the more abstract defintions and explanations provided in the authors' intro. A must read for anyone concerned with modern politics and the development or erosion of liberal democracies everywhere, depending on your belief system.

Excellent book
I had a hard time finding this book. But I finally did, thank goodness. If you believe in our Constitution, and want to gain insight, YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!