Theodore Roosevelt Progressive Quotes & Sayings

I believe in a graduated income tax on big fortunes, and in ... a graduated inheritance tax on big fortunes, ... increasing rapidly in amount with the size of the estate. — Theodore Roosevelt

A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy. — Theodore Roosevelt

If this country is really to go forward along the path of social and economic justice, there must be a new party of nationwide and non-sectional principles, a party where the titular national chiefs and the real state leaders shall be in genuine accord, a party in whose counsels the people shall be supreme, a party that shall represent in the nation and the several states alike the same cause, the cause of human rights and of governmental efficiency. At present both the old parties are controlled by professional politicians in the interests of the privileged classes, and apparently each has set up as its ideal of business and political development a government by financial despotism tempered by make-believe political assassination. Democrat and Republican alike, they represent government of the needy many by professional politicians in the interests of the rich few. This is class government, and class government of a peculiarly unwholesome kind. — Theodore Roosevelt

I believe that there should be a very much heavier progressive tax on very large incomes, a tax which should increase in a very marked fashion for the gigantic incomes. — Theodore Roosevelt

I am a man who believes with all fervor and intensity in moderate progress. Too often men who believe in moderation believe in it only moderately and tepidly and leave fervor to the extremists of the two sides - the extremists of reaction and the extremists of progress. Washington, Lincoln ... are men who, to my mind, stand as the types of what wide, progressive leadership should be. — Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was a conservative who adopted progressive policies. — Walter Lippmann

The reactionary is always willing to take a progressive attitude on any issue that is dead. — Theodore Roosevelt

Our fight is a fundamental fight against both of the old corrupt party machines, for both are under the dominion of the plunder league of the professional politicians who are controlled and sustained by the great beneficiaries of privilege and reaction. — Theodore Roosevelt

Far-seeing patriots should turn scornfully from men who seek power on a platform which with exquisite nicety combines silly inability to understand the national needs and dishonest insintcerity in promising conflicting and impossible remedies. — Theodore Roosevelt

A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy. — Theodore Roosevelt