Who Are Progressives and What Do They Believe In?

October 1, 2019
Grades 6-9 Different political philosophies are discussed in the Politics Today series (5 titles). In this book, the history of progressivism is examined, from its roots in the Enlightenment to its current iteration observable in the Nordic model and, in the U.S., in the politics of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Although this is an overview, it is quite layered, delving into the demographics of the movement, its role in the evolution of this country, and the important tug-of-war it has with more conservative elements of the economy. Although a spread explains progressivism is not a political party (which unfortunately comes directly after a paragraph describing the early-twentieth-century Progressive Party), it details tenets that include higher corporate taxes, health-care reform, and the legalization of marijuana, among others. Photographs help enliven the text.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)