The Democratic and Republican parties of 100 years ago were both more progressive than the modern Democratic and Republican parties, if you ignore identity politics.
Here's the party platforms for the
Democrats and the
Republicans in 1932.
Both parties were in favor of reducing government expenditure and balancing the budget of the government. In 2024 the Republicans have pretty much abandoned any kind of fiscal oversight, and debt massively ballooned under Trump's presidency.
https://www.aier.org/article/theres-nothing-conservative-about-deficits-and-debt/
Both parties were in favor of expanding unemployment relief. In 2024 the Republican party wants a reduction in unemployment benefits, and generally a reduction in "entitlements."
Both parties wanted greater supervision over the banking system and investment banking. In 2024 Trump is promising more deregulation for investors, and reduced oversight for things like cryptocurrencies. Project 2025 wants to get rid of the federal trade commission.
Both parties were in favor of greater anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws to prevent unfair trade practices. In 2024 both parties have substantially failed at curtailing monopolies, and the Republicans want to further reduce corporate taxes.
Both parties were in favor of greater international cooperation. The 2024 Republican party under Trump is anti-NATO and Trump has stated multiple times that he doesn't want to guarantee protection for our allies.
Both parties were in favor of greater home ownership and thought that it was up to the government to assist home buyers with home loans. These days huge amounts of single family homes are being bought by investment companies and both the Republican and Democratic governments have failed to intervene. You will spend your whole life renting, you will own nothing and you will be happy with it.
Both parties were in favor of farming coops. Now basically all farming in the US is done by massive corporations, and coops are seen as something for hippies and socialists.
Both parties were in favor of higher wages, a shorter working week, and a shorter work day. Republicans these days would think that's socialism, they vote against increasing the federal minimum wage, and they work to remove worker protections. Project 2025 wants to reduce access to things like overtime pay, get rid of health and safety protections for workers, and outlaw public sector unions.
Both parties wanted greater regulation of interstate public utilities. The Republican party now stands for deregulation.
Please tell me more about how much more progressive the country has gotten.
The country has gotten more progressive on things like race, gay rights, etc. But if you take away identity politics the country has regressed in much of its economic policy, worker protections, banking and investment regulations and a whole host of other issues. We used to have much higher taxes on the rich, much higher corporate taxes, and everyone was in favor of more banking regulations, investment regulations, anti-monopoly, and anti-trust laws.