PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

What does the word “progressive” mean?

I ask because the word often is used in a positive way to describe proposals from Democrats who usually believe that more government represents progress. In fact, the reverse may be true. More government is not always positive, so I contend the word progressive should not be used to describe such proposals.

Here are the dictionary definitions of the adjective:

• Favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, especially in political matters – such as a progressive mayor.
• Making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods – such as a progressive community.
• Characterized by such progress or by continuous improvement.

Consider this story, which recently appeared in The Nation:

“The list of victories thus far on this year’s long calendar of contests—mayoral, City Council, state legislative, and even statewide—is striking. Many of them are unprecedented, and most are linked by a growing recognition on the part of national progressive groups and local activists that the greatest resistance not just to Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan but to right-wing governors could well come from the cities and states where the day-to-day work of governing is done.”

Note use of the word progressive. It has the effect of conveying a positive impression of movement forward, even though the specific proposals by those running for local election may not be positive.

Turns out that a long-time Texas Republican in Congress, Lamar Smith, has been on a quiet mission for years to flag what he sees as examples of bias in news reporting. One of his examples is use of the term “progressive” when a more accurate modifier, he says, might be “liberal.”

I agree. I say the judgment about the positive or negative character of government proposals should be left up to individuals, not conveyed by use of a word that comes across as positive.

[Footnote: I could have included this blog as a part of the Department of Pet Peeves, which I manage. I didn’t, preferring to give the word “progressive” singular standing. But its over-use stands as a pet peeve.]