The Progressive Presidents

Advocates of a strong versus a weak presidency have struggled throughout American history but never so fiercely as in the twentieth century which saw the rise of progressivism. This is the story of four progressive presidents from the first Roosevelt who himself brought plenty of backbone to the office to Woodrow Wilson who articulated the theory of a progressive presidency to FDR who brought it unique power and finally to Lyndon Johnson who provided perhaps its last great surge in our century. In a time of progressive malaise it is important to know the history to see the benefits as well as the liabilities in the progressive presidential tradition. That is the aim and achievement of this book.