Define Progressivism in the United States and explain why it was such a popular movement. Identify and discuss one success and one failure of the Progressive movement Progressivism moment arose in the United States in the 20th century mostly consisting of the reformists and middle class people who raised concerns on how the government was run rife with corruption. As United States became more industrialized and modernized, the middle class burgeoned and clamored for change from big corporations influencing the way the government was run to the general public input (Buenker 33)