Title Statesmanship and progressive reform : an assessment of Herbert Croly's Abraham Lincoln / Jason Jividen and J. David Alvis

Published [Basingstoke] : Palgrave Macmillan, 2013

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Description 1 online resource Series Palgrave pivot Palgrave pivot. Contents Reconciling Nationalism and Democracy -- The Demise of the Ante-Bellum Parties -- The Need for Statesmanship -- Croly's Lincoln and the Synthesis of Moral and Intellectual Virtues -- Assessing Croly's Appeal to Lincoln -- Conclusion Summary "Statesmanship and Progressive Reform" provides a critical assessment of Herbert Croly's influential account of Abraham Lincoln in his book, "The Promise of American Life" (1909). As founder and editor "of The New Republic", Croly was one of the premier intellectual architects of the American Progressive movement. A defining element of Croly's book was his claim that Progressivism was a continuation of the spirit of Lincoln's political thought. This identification of Progressive politics with the Lincoln legacy became a major component of Progressive and modern liberal political rhetoric, especially among presidents like Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Lyndon Johnson, and most recently, Barack Obama. Croly's account of Lincoln is crucial to his ideology of reform, yet Jividen and Alvis provide a brand-new argument that this praise and analysis of Lincoln is highly problematic. "Statesmanship and Progressive Reform" shows how Croly's depiction of Lincoln looks almost exclusively at his character or "spirit," rather than his speeches, writings, or deeds -- all of which would not have aligned so easily to the principals of Progressivism. Despite his adulation of Lincoln, Croly rejects the first principles of American democracy as Lincoln understood them and arrives at a notion of American statesmanship that sharply departs from that of his seemingly ideal statesman Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Online resource; title from title details screen (Palgrave Connect, viewed July 17, 2013) Subject Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Political and social views. SUBJECT Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 fast Subject Progressivism (United States politics) -- History Political science & theory -- USA. Political leaders & leadership -- USA. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Political Process -- Political Parties. Politics and Government. Political and social views Progressivism (United States politics) Political science & theory -- United States of America, USA -- American Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1877) Political leaders & leadership -- United States of America, USA -- American Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1877) Politics and Government. Genre/Form History Form Electronic book Author Alvis, J. David. ISBN 9781137362285 1137362286 1299754368 9781299754362 1137366591 9781137366597

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