What Is the Progressive Left Movement?
The Progressive Left movement in the United States is rooted in a populist, pro-labor liberalism that goes back to the William Jennings Bryan and the Progressive Party, founded in 1912 by Theodore Roosevelt. Modern progressives tend to promote labor unions, broad-based welfare and entitlement programs, and abortion rights.
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History
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Early progressives were proponents of inflationary "soft money" monetary policies, and they were against a strict gold standard. Progressivism's most famous early expression was William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech at the 1896 Democratic Convention.
Belief in Government as a Problem Solver
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Progressives have tended to turn to government action as a force to solve social ills. Examples include Roosevelt's "New Deal" policies in the Great Depression, the Social Security Act, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Program and the modern health insurance reform of 2010.
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Common Positions
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Modern progressives tend to favor minimum wage laws, higher taxes on the wealthy and on corporations, abortion rights, welfare programs, and affirmative action. In foreign policy, they have opposed the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Criticisms
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Critics of the progressive left movement argue that their policies lead to budget deficits and penalize the productive classes, including entrepreneurs. By redistributing wealth to those who have not taken the same risks, critics argue that Progressive policies discourage risk and entrepreneurship, slowing economic growth.
Prominent Progressives
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Prominent members of the Progressive Left today include Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Kucinich, Ralph Nader, Bernie Sanders, Maxine Waters, Jerry Brown, Henry Waxman, Barbara Lee, Charles Rangel and Barney Frank.
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