Editing Progressive Era (section)

===Modernization===
{{Further|Efficiency movement}}

The progressives were avid modernizers, with a belief in science and technology as the grand solution to society's flaws. They looked to education as the key to bridging the gap between their present wasteful society and technologically enlightened future society. Characteristics of progressivism included a favorable attitude toward urban–industrial society, belief in mankind's ability to improve the environment and conditions of life, belief in an obligation to intervene in economic and social affairs, a belief in the ability of experts and in the efficiency of government intervention.<ref>John D. Buenker, and Robert M. Crunden. ''Progressivism'' (1986); Maureen Flanagan, ''America Reformed: Progressives and Progressivisms, 1890 – the 1920s'' (2007)</ref><ref>Samuel Haber, ''Efficiency and Uplift Scientific Management in the Progressive Era 1890–1920'' (1964) 656</ref> Scientific management, as promulgated by [[Frederick Winslow Taylor]], became a watchword for industrial efficiency and elimination of waste, with the stopwatch as its symbol.<ref>Daniel Nelson, ''Frederick W. Taylor and the Rise of Scientific Management'' (1970).</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=J.-C. Spender|author2=Hugo Kijne|title=Scientific Management: Frederick Winslow Taylor's Gift to the World?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WcLkBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA63|year=2012|publisher=Springer|page=63|isbn=978-1461314219}}</ref>