Progressives' Century

Political Reform, Constitutional Government, and the Modern American State

Ackerman Bruce A., Engel Stephen M., Skowronek Stephen

A landmark work on how the Progressive Era redefined the playing field for conservatives and liberals alike. During the 1912 presidential campaign, Progressivism emerged as an alternative to what was then considered an outmoded system of government. A century later, a new generation of conservatives criticizes Progressivism as having abandoned America's founding values and miring the government in institutional gridlock. In this paradigm-shifting book, renowned contributors examine a broad range of issues, including Progressives' interpretation of the Constitution, their expansion and redistribution of individual rights, and reforms meant to shift power from political parties to ordinary citizens.

About the author

Bruce Ackerman is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale and lives in Branford, CT.

Stephen M. Engel is associate professor of politics at Bates College and lives in Portland, ME.

Stephen Skowronek is Pelatiah Perit Professor of Political and Social Science at Yale and lives in Woodbridge, CT.

Reviews

"Using the Progressives' Century as their lens, a diverse array of the leading lights of political science, law, and history focus on the institutional and ideological dilemmas bequeathed by Progressive reformers. For all of us who are desperately seeking to understand what's gone wrong with American politics and are even more eagerly on the lookout for clues about how to change it, this illuminating history of the legacy of Progressive reform is required reading" – Richard J. Ellis, author of "The Development of the American Presidency"

"This book will make an important contribution to our historical understanding of Progressive Era reform, the enduring legacy of these reforms, the changing character of progressivism and the challenges facing progressives today" – Brian Balogh, Professor of History, University of Virginia, co-host of Backstory with the American History Guys, and author of "The Associational State: American Governance in the Twentieth Century"