Progressive Party (USA)

The name "Progressive Party" was used by a number of political factions in American history, mostly in the first half of the 20th century, who ran candidates for President of the United States.

The first and most famous Progressive Party, known informally as the "Bull Moose," existed from 1912 through 1920, largely supported by breakaways from other parties (mainly the Republican Party) who were not formal members. Despite its short lifespan, the Bull Moose holds a special place in American Presidential history. In 1912, the ticket of Theodore Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson became the most successful third party ticket since the modern two-party system began in the 1850s; however, the effect was to split the Progressive and Republican votes and hand the victory to the Democratic Party ticket of Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Marshall. Realizing that the "Bull Moose" could never become a serious contender, Roosevelt refused renomination in 1916, and campaigned for the Republicans. The party dissolved in short order, with most of its members rejoining the Republicans.

In 1924, Senator Robert M. La Follette (R-Wisconsin), who had opposed the Bull Moose throughout its existence, ironically founded his own Progressive Party, running for President on a ticket with Burton Wheeler. La Follette's party was largely a cult of personality centered around its founder. Despite an alliance with the Socialist Party of America, which netted the ticket a respectable 16% of the vote, it failed to acquire serious momentum, and began to dissolve shortly after La Follette's death in 1925, with its range limited to Wisconsin in later years.

The third and last Progressive Party to run Presidential candidates had a breakaway Democratic slant, running Henry Wallace and Glen Taylor in 1948, and Vincent Hallinan and Charlotta Bass in 1952. Neither ticket netted any substantial number of votes. This party was dissolved in 1955. Since then, the name Progressive Party has never been used on the national stage, but occasionally plays a role in local and statewide races.

In their heyday, the Progressives ultimately managed to elect two Senators, thirteen Congressmen, a governor, a lieutenant governor, and a number of lower state and local officers.

Literary comment

"Last Flight of the Swan of the East" takes place in a shared universe where Theodore Roosevelt regained the presidency in 1912. However, the names Progressive Party and Bull Moose are not mentioned in any of the Leviathans stories published so far.

Progressive Party in "Powerless"

The Progressive Party was legal in the West Coast People's Democratic Republic, but was not favored as the Communist Party was. Moreover, the Progressive Party didn't function as an opposition party. Consequently, the Progressive Party was viewed with the same kind of skepticism that the CPWCPDR was.

Progressive Party in The War That Came Early

The 1912 schism between William Howard Taft's Republicans and Theodore Roosevelt's Progressives was mirrored in 1940. Alf Landon defected from the Republicans to an independent Presidential ticket in 1940, opposing prime candidate Wendell Willkie as well as Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt. Senator Joseph Guffey (D-Pennsylvania) made a speech pointing out that while the 1912 party was a Bull Moose, Landon's campaign was bull..., and allowed the imagination of his respectable audience to fill in the last part.