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Defining Documents in American History: Liberalism

Web Resources

The American Prospect

prospect.org

Online and print magazine devoted to modern forms of liberalism and progressivism. Originally called The Liberal Prospect, it was founded in 1990 as a reaction to the rise of conservatism in the 1980s.

Americans for Democratic Action

adaction.org

Liberal political organization that advocates for progressive policies through lobbying, grassroots efforts, and the support of progressive political candidates.

The Atlantic

www.theatlantic.com

Longstanding magazine based in Washington, D.C., founded in 1857, with ride-ranging coverage of everything from politics to arts and culture and technology. It is generally agreed that its coverage leans to the left.

Brookings Institution

www.brookings.edu

Think-tank primarily concerned with the social sciences, especially economics and governance. It has been described as centrist and liberal, and is considered one of the top think-tanks in the world. It was founded in 1916 with a mission to analyze public policy issues at the national level.

Center for American Progress

www.americanprogress.org

Liberal think-tank that primarily focuses on economic and social issues. It was founded in 2003 as a Democratic counterpoint to deeply conservative think-tanks such as The Heritage Foundation and The American Enterprise Institute.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

www.cbpp.org

Nonprofit, progressive think-tank primarily concerned with the impact of federal and state government budget policies on the average person. It has been described as liberal and left-leaning.

CNN

www.cnn.com

Large media organization with one of the top-five-most-watched cable news channels in America, multiple social media accounts, and a website. Founded in 1980 by media magnate Ted Turner and journalist Reese Schonfeld, it has gained a reputation for having a left-wing bias, although recent examinations of the network’s content have shown only a mild bias.

Democratic National Committee

democrats.org

Main leadership body of the Democratic Party, which is one of two dominant political parties in the United States, founded in 1848. The Democratic Party itself was founded in 1828. The Democrats traditionally hold a liberal and left-wing political stance.

Economic Policy Institute

www.epi.org

Nonprofit think-tank based in Washington, D.C., with a focus on the economic impact of policies and proposals, particularly regarding labor. It is seen as left-wing and pro-union, and a part of the labor movement.

The Four Causes of Liberalism (National Affairs)

www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-four-causes-of-liberalism

Feature-length piece discussing the difference between liberalism as a political ideology and terms such as “liberals” and “progressives” that are so common in modern discourse.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

www.fdrlibrary.org

The library and museum, overseen by Frankin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) himself and opened in 1941, holds the records of the thirty-second president of the United States. It was the first presidential library in the U.S., and stands on the grounds of the Roosevelt family estate Springwood, in Hyde Park, New York.

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

www.trumanlibrary.gov

Both the presidential library for, and the resting place of, thirty-third president Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). Located in Independence, Missouri, it opened in 1957.

HuffPost

www.huffpost.com

Progressive news and culture website, founded in 2005 as a left-wing alternative to online conservative news outlets such as The Drudge Report. It went on to become the first commercial digital media operation in the U.S. to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Jacobin

jacobin.com

Taking its name from a book about the Haitian Revolution, the magazine (based in New York) presents an unabashed democratic socialist viewpoint, stating explicitly that they are the “leading voice of the American left.”

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov

Houses the papers of thirty-ninth president Jimmy Carter, as well as other material related to his administration and family life. Also includes a full-scale replica of the Oval Office as it looked during Carter’s tenure. The library and museum was opened in 1986 on a site in Atlanta, Georgia, next to the John Lewis Freedom Parkway.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

www.jfklibrary.org

Holds the historical materials of thirty-fifth president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) and his administration. The site was opened in 1979, and is located on Columbia Point, in Boston, Massachusetts, next to the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum

www.lbjlibrary.org

Also known as the LBJ Presidential Library, this library and museum holds the records of thirty-sixth president Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) and his close associates. Located on the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas, it holds 45 million pages of historical documents, 650,000 photos and 5,000 hours of recordings.

Liberalism and Nationalism in Contemporary America (American Political Science Association)

apsanet.org/Portals/54/journals/liberalism-and-nationalism-in-contemporary-america.pdf

Transcript of a 2020 lecture by James Madison Award-winner John J. Mearsheimer, discussing the conflict between liberalism and nationalism in the modern United States.

Modern Liberalism Overview (History Crunch)

www.historycrunch.com/modern-liberalism.html

An overview not just of modern liberalism in the U.S., but also the history that led the movement to where it is now.

Mother Jones

www.motherjones.com

Nonprofit progressive magazine, named after activist and advocate for socialism Mary Harris Jones. Coverage is on topics such as politics, the environment, human rights, health, and culture, with news, commentary, and investigative journalism making up the bulk of its content. Its viewpoints are often considered liberal, and even neoliberal.

MSNBC

www.msnbc.com

Cable news channel owned by Comcast and NBCUniversal, ranked as the second-most-watched cable news channel in the U.S., behind Fox News. It features liberal-leaning political commentary as well as coverage of current news. It was established in 1996 as a partnership between NBC and Microsoft.

National Public Radio

www.npr.org

Known commonly as NPR, it is a public broadcasting corporation headquartered in Washington, D.C. It acts as a syndicator to a network of 1,000 public radio stations across the country. Despite being partially funded by the government via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, it is also funded by dues from member stations and corporate sponsorships, and operates independently of the government and corporate interests. It has been accused of having a liberal bias, to the point where President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding NPR in May 2025.

The Nation

www.thenation.com

Progressive magazine that primarily covers politics and culture through news, opinion, and analysis. Founded in 1865, it has identified as a liberal publication since approximately 1918 when its coverage was given a makeover.

The New York Times

www.nytimes.com

One of the longest-running newspapers in the U.S., it was founded in 1851 as a conservative publication, but in its current incarnation appeals largely to a liberal audience. Apart from reporting national and international news, it also publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews.

People for the American Way

peoplefor.org

Progressive advocacy group established by self-proclaimed liberal television producer Norman Leer in 1981. It was formed to provide a counterpoint to the Christian conservative Moral Majority movement of the 1980s. Apart from general advocacy initiatives aimed at advancing the progressive cause, the group also runs the Right Wing Watch website and YouTube channel, which aims to expose public figures who espouse what they consider to be right-wing hate speech and conspiracy theories.

Roosevelt Institute

rooseveltinstitute.org

Named after President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, the institute is a liberal think-tank primarily concerned with economic policy. It was created in 1987 and at present is the nonprofit partner to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

7 Components of Liberalism (Norwich University)

online.norwich.edu/online/about/resource-library/7-components-liberalism

A succinct breakdown of seven key tenants of liberalism.

The Washington Post

www.washingtonpost.com

Daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1877, it has been involved in numerous famous exposés, including printing the Pentagon Papers in 1971, and perhaps most famously their investigation into the Watergate scandal that toppled President Richard Nixon in 1974. It has historically been seen to take a liberal viewpoint.

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum

www.woodrowwilson.org

A complex located in Staunton, Virginia, devoted to twenty-eighth president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924). It features his birthplace (the Manse) and a museum and research library, among other structures.

Citation Types

MLA 9th
"Web Resources." Defining Documents in American History: Liberalism, edited by Michael Shally-Jensen, Salem Press, 2025. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=DDLiberalism_0135.
APA 7th
Web Resources. Defining Documents in American History: Liberalism, In M. Shally-Jensen (Ed.), Salem Press, 2025. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=DDLiberalism_0135.
CMOS 17th
"Web Resources." Defining Documents in American History: Liberalism, Edited by Michael Shally-Jensen. Salem Press, 2025. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=DDLiberalism_0135.