Princeton professor explains the dark side of progressivism

A Princeton University economics professor highlights the darker sides of the reformers of the American Progressive Era in an interview. Hillary Clinton has repeatedly described herself as a “progressive,” and even as a “proud, modern, American progressive,” but the political history of American progressivism is neither widely known nor understood.

Today’s new progressives, neoprogs, appear to be rapidly abandoning the label of “liberal” and adopting “progressive” as a more favorable moniker. But the history of legacy American progressivism is less than worthy of praise. Dr. Thomas C. Leonard’s recently released book, Illiberal Reformers: Race, Eugenics, and American Economics in the Progressive Era, was reviewed here shortly before it was released. Now, in an hour-long YouTube interview with libertarian.org, Leonard has summarized many of the key findings of his research into the history of the American Progressive Era. One question his work provokes, but does not address, is this: is the abortion industry in America today an ideological derivative of the eugenics movement once championed by progressives?