What does "progressive" mean?

[Cant trust em]

There seems to be a lot of talk on DU these days about liberals, conservative democrats, progressives, etc. Some of these terms have become so toxic nationally that to be associated as a liberal is a death sentence in the polls. An example of this is during one of the CNN debates the moderator asked Hillary Clinton if she would call herself a liberal. She said that she preferred the term progressive.

When I think of progressives I'm thinking about poverty issues, public transit first, corporate responsibility becoming a reality. I know where I stand on issues and I think that probably puts me pretty far to the left. What do some of these terms mean to DUers? Do they have any meaning at all?

[BlooInBloo]

1. Change for improvement.

[saracat]

2. That you haven't the guts to say you are "Liberal" !

[mudesi]

4. Bing. O. (nm)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. A Progressive Is One Who Believes In Progress

Stupid definition... Yup...

Labels belong on food , drugs, and beer...

[angrycarpenter]

5. same thing

needed a different term because cons made "liberal" A dirty word. However Progressive seems like A more rational version of A liberal. still having A heart only it's not bleeding.

[venable]

6. i think a good question is does Progressive differ from Liberal

to me it does.

Liberal describes the policies and values of an egalitarian and just society, with global awareness.

Progressive is the same thing, but suggests something more evolutionary and pro-active, a movement toward, a tendency to actions that attempt to CHANGE things, ie progress toward liberal or even radical goals, leftish, not just a set of fixed values.

This is just my particular read on it, it probably reads differently in a dictionary.