Department
History and Political Science
Major
History
Research Advisor
DeWitt, Petra, 1961-
Advisor's Department
History and Political Science
Abstract
From 1972 to 2020, the progressive wing of the Democratic party has evolved and adapted to follow a changing American society that looks drastically different today than the one that overwhelmingly rejected George McGovern in 1972 in favor of President Nixon. From being blamed for dragging down Democratic candidates through the 1970s and '80s to being sidelined by the "New Democrat" movement headlined by President's Clinton and Obama to resurging back into popularity in 2016 led by Bernard "Bernie" Sander's run for the Democratic nomination, the movement is now as strong as ever. This research looks at how progressives within the Democratic party attempted to influence the party's national platform from 1972 to 2020, how progressives managed to rise to prominence within the party in 2016, and what their sudden rise in political power and influence says about American society today.
Biography
Anthony Watson is a graduating senior in the Missouri S&T History and Political Science department pursuing a Bachelor of Science in History with minors in Psychology and Political Science. His areas of interest are in modern American politics and 19th and 20th century European history. He plans on hopefully attending graduate school in the fall studying political and military policy in the realms of national defense. He is currently the Vice President of Academic Affairs for Missouri S&T's Student Council.
Research Category
Arts and Humanities
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Document Type
Presentation
Award
Arts and humanities oral presentation, Second place
Presentation Date
27 Apr 2017, 1:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Included in
A study of the modern progressive movement
From 1972 to 2020, the progressive wing of the Democratic party has evolved and adapted to follow a changing American society that looks drastically different today than the one that overwhelmingly rejected George McGovern in 1972 in favor of President Nixon. From being blamed for dragging down Democratic candidates through the 1970s and '80s to being sidelined by the "New Democrat" movement headlined by President's Clinton and Obama to resurging back into popularity in 2016 led by Bernard "Bernie" Sander's run for the Democratic nomination, the movement is now as strong as ever. This research looks at how progressives within the Democratic party attempted to influence the party's national platform from 1972 to 2020, how progressives managed to rise to prominence within the party in 2016, and what their sudden rise in political power and influence says about American society today.
