The Promise of American Life

by Herbert David Croly

"The Promise of American Life" by Herbert David Croly is a political philosophy book published in 1909. Croly argues that America's individualistic past has been transformed by industrialization, requiring a powerful federal government to balance corporate interests and ensure democracy. He advocates using "Hamiltonian means" to achieve "Jeffersonian ends"—employing centralized government power and expert regulation to restore American democracy and social responsibility. Though selling few copies, the book profoundly influenced Theodore Roosevelt's New Nationalism and later New Deal leaders.