Inequalities and the Progressive Era. Breakthroughs and legacies

Edited by Guillaume Vallet, University of Grenoble Alpes, and Centre de Recherche en Économie de Grenoble (CREG) and Institut de Recherche pour l’Economie Politique de l’Entreprise (IREPE), France and Institute of Sociological Research of Geneva, Switzerland

‘Rising inequality in late 19th and early 20th centuries US led to the development between 1920 and 1980 of the most successful and ambitious progressive tax system ever experimented. If you want to know more about the intellectual roots of the progressive era, you should read this great collection of essays. A fascinating book.’

– Thomas Piketty, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and Paris School of Economics, France

‘This remarkable and carefully curated volume is an invaluable roadmap to the treatment of inequalities during the fascinating and often misunderstood Progressive Era. As Guillaume Vallet and his contributors argue there is much to be learned about this transformative era of political, economic, and social reform. Today, we confront a wide range of unacceptable inequalities. Academics, policymakers, and activists should look to this volume for inspiration as they design and advocate pathways out of the present morass.’

– Ilene Grabel, University of Denver, US

Although “The Progressive Era” is usually understood as the period from 1900 to 1917 in the United States during which major political, social, and economic reforms took place, the authors of the twenty-two essays about more than a dozen countries on five continents in this volume broaden the geographical and chronological (1890s-1930s) focus on similar reform activities. Current efforts to address the problem of increasing inequalities of wealth and income in our own time can benefit from the perspectives provided by these studies of a similar problem a century ago.’

– James M. McPherson, Princeton University, US and author of Battle Cry of Freedom; The Civil War Era

Inequalities and the Progressive Era features contributors from all corners of the world, each exploring a different type of inequality during the Progressive Era (1890s-1930s). Though this era is most associated with the United States, it corresponds to a historical period in which profound changes and progress are realized or expected all over the globe.

The original and international perspectives of the book make it possible to examine important issues or authors of the Progressive Era, who have at times been neglected or insufficiently discussed. This analysis allows us both to know more about this key period of the history of capitalism, and to consider contemporary debates regarding the treatment of inequalities with a pluralistic approach.

Academics and students of all levels, from PhD and Master degree students to undergrads will appreciate the original focus on the roots and treatments of inequalities, and this innovative collaboration between researchers of various fields in social sciences.