Progressive Party (Carolina)

The Progressive Party is one of three major contemporary political parties in Carolina along with the Democratic Party and Constitutional Party. The party traces itself back the 1918 when several members of the Radical Liberal Party founded a new political party due to the progressive movement.

The party remained small until the 1930's when Wilson Adde ran on a joint Progressive-Radical Liberal ticket and won. Adde defined the party as one of economic liberalism while incorporating some elements of social liberalism. Following the collapse of the Radical Liberal Party, the Progressive Party became the largest left-wing political party in Carolina. The party's support for the Carolinian Civil Rights Movement led to many African-Carolinians voting for the party after gaining the right to vote in the 1970's.

Today the House Progressive Caucus is mainly composed of centrists, progressives, and libertarians. The party's platform of New Progressivism advocates for economic equality as well as government intervention and regulation of the economy. These interventions, such as the introduction of social programs, support for labor unions, affordable college tuitions, moves toward universal health care and equal opportunity, consumer protection and environmental protection form the core of the party's economic policy. While the party advocates for social equality as well, it has traditionally been slow to do such due to Carolina's socially conservative political climate.

As a result of Wilson Adde's Better Plan, the Progressive Party was able to build a coalition mainly consisting of poor white-voters who benefited the most from the policies. The coalition was able to last until the mid-1960's when Progressive politicians came out in support of the civil rights movement. As a result, most poor white voters left the Progressive Party for either the Democratic or Dixiecrat parties. However, going into the 1970's the party was able to build a coalition of voters who were overwhelmingly against President George Wallace. Following the passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-to-late 1970's, the Progressives' were able to successfully court most African-Carolinian voters, a coalition they have continued to hold onto. The party has also expanded in urban areas, especially as United States immigrants move to Carolina. The current coalition of the Progressive Party is made up of urban-liberal voters as well as racial and ethnic minorities in Carolina, such as Jewish Carolinians, Hispanic Carolinians, Arabic Carolinians and African Carolinians.

Three Progressive Presidents have served under three administrations. 11th President Wilson Adde was the first Progressive to serve from 1932 to 1936. 18th President John Burke served from 1984 to 1992. Most recently, Gabriel Atkinson from as President from 1996 to 2004.

Currently, the Progressives are an opposition party due to having the minority of seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate as well as having the minority of governorships and state legislatures. The party serves as the official opposition in both the House and Senate, as well as most state legislatures where they are a minority.