▶ Key Takeaways
- Progressivism began to influence American politics in the 1890s as rapid industrialization and population growth took place following the Civil War.
- Progressivism is primarily a Democrat/Left Wing ideology, but Theodore Roosevelt introduced a progressive brand of Republicanism between 1901 and 1909.
- Progressivism advocates central planning and control by the federal government to correct imbalances and unfairness in society.
- Progressivism is incompatible with the founding principles of equality and unalienable God-given rights in the Declaration of Independence.
- Progressives believe that rights are granted by government, not by God.
- Progressives do not believe in universal truths that apply to everyone; they believe that government knows best how businesses should operate and how people should live.
- Progressive ideology in Europe led to Fascism, Nazism, Marxism, and Communism, as well as the murder of tens of millions of people who disagreed.
- Progressive ideology in America has produced government-controlled public schools, critical race theory, climate change hysteria, DEI, celebration of LGBTQ+ lifestyles, and more.
- America is currently a battleground between Progressivism and the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence.
“Progressivism.”
It has a nice ring to it.
It’s a positive, powerful marketing message.
It comes from the word “progress.”
Who’s not in favor of progress?
Answer: It depends on how the word is defined.
The Left has a very sinister definition of “progress.”
They’ve turned their concept of progress into an ideology and a political movement called Progressivism.
And they don’t want you to know what it is.
Here are 5 facts about Progressivism every American should understand.
1. The origin of Progressivism in the United States.
The term “progressive” was first used by President Theodore Roosevelt (1901 – 1909) and President Woodrow Wilson (1913 – 1921).
The term was copied from Germany’s government-controlled society under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1871-1890).[1]
Roosevelt was a Republican, but introduced a “progressive” style of republicanism.
Among other things, Roosevelt promised to:
- Break up the large monopolies that had formed during the rapid industrialization of the 19th
- Regulate the railroads.
- Create a national park system.
He created a Progressive Party in 1912 to run against William Howard Taft, a conservative Republican.
Roosevelt and Taft split the Republican vote, allowing Woodrow Wilson – a Democrat and a radical progressive – to win the election.
Wilson enacted many new government controls:
- Revenue Act of 1913 – tax on income
- Federal Reserve Act of 1913 – creating the Federal Reserve System
- Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914
- Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914
- Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916
- And more…
All of which are still having negative outcomes even today.
2. The core beliefs of Progressivism.
Progressivism is based on central government planning and administrative rule.
Progressives believe that human rights are granted by government, not by God.
Progressives believe that the government knows best how to run your life… and you just need to give the government the power to do what’s best for you.
Woodrow Wilson believed that America needed “to leave behind the principles of the founding and catch up with the more advanced and sophisticated system of relatively unimpeded state power.”[2]
Progressives of the early 20th century also believed that Darwinism – the idea of ever-advancing human progress determined by the evolutionary process of natural selection – had proven the superiority and inferiority of the races.[3]
This is why Margaret Sanger – who opened the first birth control clinic in the U.S. in 1916 – supported eugenics – the theory and practice of selective breeding as a way to “improve” the human species.
Sanger believed in preventing people with “undesirable traits” from reproducing.
This is why she targeted blacks for abortion.
It’s also why progressives today are so adamant about supporting abortion.
3. Progressivism is incompatible with the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration clearly states in its second paragraph:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
In summary:
- Our rights come from God
- Government exists to secure those rights
- Government’s powers come from the consent of the governed
In total opposition to these principles, progressives believe that the government is god.
In a speech at the University of Texas, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said:
“Progressives strove to undo the Declaration’s commitment to equality and natural rights, both of which they denied were self-evident.”[4]
4. Where Progressivism leads.
The progressive movements in Europe led to Fascism in Italy, Nazism – which means National Socialism – in Germany, and Communism in the Soviet Union.
These “progressive” Socialist governments murdered tens of millions of people because the leaders rejected God…. and therefore had no respect for the dignity and worth of individuals.
“This is what happens,” Clarence Thomas stated, “when natural rights give way to the higher good notions of history, progress, or as Thomas Sowell has written, the visions of the anointed.”[5]
In early 20th century America, progressive ideology resulted in many churches preaching a social gospel which advocated for government to provide “social justice.”
The Gospel of redemption from sin through the substitutionary death of Jesus was replaced in many churches with a gospel of “salvation” from the sins of society via government intervention.
When sin is viewed as a societal flaw rather than individual rebellion against God, the responsibility for repentance and restoration is shifted to society as a whole rather than each person.
And who is society as a whole?
The government is.
A myriad of government institutions and programs have developed as the best way to cure the ills of America’s past and present shortcomings:
- Government-controlled public schools – now indoctrinating children beginning in preschool
- Critical Race Theory (CRT)
- Global warming/Climate Change/CO₂ Emissions
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- Radical LBGTQ+ Rights
- Abortion Rights
5. America is currently a battleground between Progressivism and the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
Only one side will prevail…
And the outcome is uncertain.
The founding principles of America are not being taught in our public schools.
Why?
Because progressive teachers and the teachers’ unions don’t believe them.
They don’t believe in a personal Creator-God.
They don’t believe there is any universal, absolute Truth that is true for everyone.
They don’t believe in a right to life… or in a right to liberty.
Their idea of “happiness” is licentiousness and decadence.
Their god is government… Politics is their religion.
The “collective” – or collectivism – is the goal, not individual freedom.
Progressives argue that the Declaration’s “all men are created equal” clause shouldn’t be taken seriously because Thomas Jefferson owned slaves.
They promote the narrative that their ideology and their government programs bring progress to society, while Republican and Conservative principles cause stagnation or regression.
Justice Thomas in his speech destroyed the utopian masquerade of Progressivism – revealing that it is a fundamentally backward movement.
He quoted President Calvin Coolidge – who in 1926 spoke on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration.
“If all men are created equal, that is final,” Coolidge said.
“If they are endowed with unalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final… If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which they can proceed historically is not forward but backward.”[6]
Justice Thomas urges all Americans to “find in ourselves that same level of courage that the signers of the Declaration had” to defend our freedoms.[7]
What do you think? Email me at [email protected].
Action:
1. Pray for America. Pray for President Trump, his Cabinet members, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
2. Pray for the midterm elections later this year, that the Progressives won’t gain control of Congress.
3. Get my book, The Great Deception: 10 Shocking Dangers and the Blueprint for Rescuing the American Dream. Read the Preface: “The Epic Battle: Statism and Collectivism vs. Freedom and Prosperity.” Also pay close attention to Chapter 2, “The Road to Socialism.” Click HERE to order the book online.
You can order the book on Amazon
Or get the audiobook version HERE and on Kindle HERE.
You can also get an autographed edition online HERE or by phone at 615-814-6633 (M-F 10 am to 3 pm).
You can also send a check for $26.13 (including shipping) payable to Media Specialists and send it to this address:
Media Specialists
1313 4th Ave N
Nashville, TN 37208
4. Get my book, The Christian Voter: 7 Non-Negotiables for Voting For, Not Against, Your Values. Click HERE to order the book online.
You can order the book on Amazon HERE.
Or get the audiobook version HERE, or on Kindle HERE.
You can also get an autographed edition online HERE or by phone at 615-814-6633 (M-F 10am to 3pm).
You can also send a check for $26.13 (includes shipping) payable to Media Specialists and send it to this address:
Media Specialists
1313 4th Ave N
Nashville, TN 37208
FAQs:
Q; What is Progressivism?
A. Progressivism is an ideology and political movement that advocates central government planning and administrative control to correct perceived imbalances and unfairness in society. It treats “progress” as expanded federal power rather than the principles of limited government and individual liberty found in America’s founding documents.
Q; When and how did Progressivism begin influencing American politics?
A. It began to influence American politics in the 1890s amid rapid industrialization and population growth after the Civil War. The term was popularized by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) and Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) and was influenced by the government-controlled model under Germany’s Otto von Bismarck.
Q: Is Progressivism only a Democratic or left-wing ideology?
A. It is primarily a Democrat/left-wing ideology, but Theodore Roosevelt – a Republican – introduced a progressive brand of republicanism. Roosevelt later formed the Progressive Party in 1912 as an alternative to the more conservative William Howard Taft. The resulting Republican split helped Woodrow Wilson – a radical progressive Democrat – win the presidency.
Q: What major policies did early Progressives enact?
A. Roosevelt focused on breaking up monopolies, regulating railroads, and creating a national park system. Woodrow Wilson spearheaded the Revenue Act of 1913 (federal income tax), Federal Reserve Act of 1913, Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914, and Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916, among others.
Q: What are the core beliefs of Progressivism?
A. Progressives believe rights are granted by government rather than by God; that government knows best how businesses should operate and how people should live; and that there are no universal truths applying to everyone.
Q: How does Progressivism conflict with the Declaration of Independence?
A. The Declaration states that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights (Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness), and that governments exist to secure those rights and derive their powers from the consent of the governed. Progressivism denies these “self-evident” truths by treating government as the source of rights and as knowing what is best for individuals.
Q: Where does Progressivism lead?
A. In Europe it led to fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany, and communism in the Soviet Union, which resulted in the murder of tens of millions. In America it spawned a social gospel in churches, which shifted their focus from individual sin and redemption through Christ to defining sin as societal ills which should be solved by government. This further led to government-controlled public schools, Critical Race Theory, climate-change policies, DEI, celebration of LGBTQ+ lifestyles, and abortion rights.
Q: Can Progressive ideology and the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence coexist?
A. No. One of these ideologies must prevail. America is currently a battleground between them. The outcome is uncertain as the public schools no longer teach the founding principles because progressive educators and teachers’ unions reject a personal Creator-God, universal absolute truth, and the rights to life and liberty.
About Craig Huey:
Craig Huey is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and publisher of The Huey Alert and Direct Marketing Update. Craig appears on national media such as FOX, FOX Business, Newsmax and more. He also co-hosts The Huey Alert Podcast with his wife Shelly and helps business leaders, Christians, conservatives, libertarians, young people and more understand the intersection of faith, politics, and freedom.
[1] Tyler O’Neil, https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/04/17/clarence-thomas-exposes-progressivism-greatest-threat-declaration-independence-today/
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] See Thomas Sowell’s 1995 book, The Vision of the Annointed.
[6] Tyler O’Neil, op. cit.
[7] Gary Bauer, https://patriotpost.us/opinion/126923-thomas-tackles-progressivism-2026-04-20/print