What makes an American a progressive, and how should government act on the public’s behalf? I turn to Theodore Roosevelt and the 1902 coal strike, when miners sought better pay and conditions while households and businesses depended on a reliable coal supply.
Roosevelt’s effort to find a negotiated solution illustrates government acting as an intermediary rather than simply taking the owners’ side. I connect that approach to labor rights, education, consumer protection, and equal opportunity. The larger argument is that conserving the American ideal and working to bring reality closer to it can coexist. We can value an institution while recognizing the work still needed to fulfill its promises.
Read the essay and sources: https://joelkdouglas.com/2024/01/23/progressives/
