The Progressive is a left-leaning American magazine and website covering politics and culture. Founded in 1909 by U.S. senator Robert M. La Follette Sr. and co-edited with his wife Belle Case La Follette, it was originally called La Follette's Weekly and then La Follette's. In 1929, it was recapitalized and had its name changed to The Progressive.
From 1928 until June 1940, The Progressive was co-owned by La Follette family and William Evjue's daily newspaper The Capital Times, after which time full ownership and control was obtained by the La Follettes and Morris H. Rubin, publicity director of Philip La Follette's National Progressives of America political organization, was installed as editor.
The magazine's headquarters remain in Madison, Wisconsin.
The publication covers civil rights and civil liberties-related topics, immigrant issues, environmentalism, criminal justice reform, and democratic reform. Its current acting and managing editor is David Boddiger. Previous editors included La Follette Sr., Belle Case La Follette, their son Robert Jr., William Evjue, Morris Rubin, Erwin Knoll, Matthew Rothschild, Bill Lueders and Ruth Conniff.
History
La Follette's Weekly
On the first page of its first issue, La Follette wrote this introduction to the magazine:
<blockquote>In the course of every attempt to establish or develop free government, a struggle between Special Privilege and Equal Rights is inevitable. Our great industrial organizations [are] in control of politics, government, and natural resources. They manage conventions, make platforms, [and] dictate legislation. They rule through the very men elected to represent them. The battle is just on. It is young yet. It will be the longest and hardest [battle] ever fought for Democracy. In other lands, the people have lost. Here we shall win. It is a glorious privilege to live in this time, and have a free hand in this fight for government by the people.
The Progressive
During the 1940s, The Progressive adopted an anti-Stalinist view of the Soviet Union.
During the early 1940s, the magazine argued that the United States should stay out of World War II. The Progressive also criticized U.S. nuclear policy and clandestine CIA activity in this period. The magazine also opposed the second Iraq War.
United States v. Progressive, Inc.
thumb|right|220px|The forerunner of The Progressive was LaFollette's Magazine, established in Madison, Wisconsin in 1909.
In 1979, The Progressive gained national attention for its article by Howard Morland, "The H-bomb Secret: How we got it and why we're telling it", which the U.S. government suppressed for six months because it contained classified information. The magazine prevailed in a landmark First Amendment case of prior restraint, United States v. Progressive, Inc..
100th anniversary
For its 100th year in print, the magazine published a book featuring "some of the best writing in The Progressive from 1909 to 2009" titled Democracy in Print, published by the University of Wisconsin Press.
Circulation
With a fall to 27,000 subscribers in 1999, in April 2004, following the Iraq War, The Progressive<nowiki/>'s circulation reached a record 65,000.
The Progressive solicits gifts, grants, and sponsorships, publicizing donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per calendar year, according to its website.
Notable contributors
Throughout the years, The Progressive has published articles by Jane Addams, James Baldwin, Louis Brandeis, Noam Chomsky, Clarence Darrow, John Kenneth Galbraith, Charles V. Hamilton, Nat Hentoff, Seymour Hersh, Jack London, Milton Mayer, A.J. Muste, George Orwell, Marcus Raskin, Edward Said, Carl Sandburg, Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, I.F. Stone, Norman Thomas, George Wald,