(This is an archived page, from the Patterns of Power Edition 3 book. Current versions are at book contents).
Some change is inevitable. It can be driven by technology, by economic policies inside a country, by the global economic situation, and by cultural change as populations move around. A progressive politician attempts to ensure that the public benefits from, or at least experiences minimum harm from, changes that are already happening. Further, progressives look to see if improvements can be made by taking politically-initiated action.
Pragmatic progressives seek to manage change, smoothing its introduction. Radical changes, such as those described in the next sub-section (6.2.5.2), are risky and are unsettling to the population.
Many progressive politicians are collectivists (6.2.3); they aim to make improvements in people's lives by developing and maintaining public services, and by adopting economic policies, to protect those who need help. In a democratic political system, these improvements might have been part of the platform upon which the politicians had stood for election.