word has varied meanings, was first used around turn of 20th century in association with folks who were in *municipal reform* movement, mostly upper-middle class and local business types who wanted to 'take back' their cities from machine politicians who ostensibly catered to working class immigrants, most prominent reforms were at-large elections, competitive bidding for government purchasing, direct primaries, city managers, merit system of public employment, non-partisan elections, short ballot...
more broadly, early 20th century *progressives* favored regulating corporations in the 'public interest', robert lafollette is often cited as quintessential example, his wing gained control of wisconsin republican party, while governor his administration oversaw anti-lobby legislation, inheritance tax, railroad tax, regulatory commission, state civil service, state direct primaries, 'lafollettism' (*progressivism*) spread to other midwestern states...
reforms in california during hiram johnson's tenure as governor indicates mish-mash of progressivism: child labor laws, civil service, 'direct democracy' of initiative, referendum, and recall, local home rule, public utilities, railroad regulation, workmen's comp...
at the national level, *progressive era* included first conservation legislation and first consumer protection legislation during teddy roosevelt's 'new nationalism' presidency (tr's 'trusting-busting' was more ostensible than actual), federal trade commission and clayton anti-trust act during woodrow wilson's 'new freedom' presidency, by this time, word 'progressive' has become synonymous with government 'reforms' many of which were actually initiated by corporations to, on one hand, destroy their smaller competitors and, on the other hand, to prevent more substantive changes...
progressives were, by and large, troubled by increasing wealth concentration, however, they opposed transformation of the economic system (only in north dakota did progressives establish state-owned businesses, including a state bank that still exists), in some instances, progressive politics were 'radical' in that farmer and worker interests were considered/ included, but the u.s. supreme court routinely struck down states laws limiting work-day length and establishing minimum wages, old-age pensions, and collective bargaining rights... mh
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