▁the ▁book ▁L ester ▁Ward ▁and ▁the ▁W elf are ▁State , ▁Comm ager ▁details ▁Ward ' s ▁influence ▁and ▁refers ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁" father ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁w elf are ▁state ". ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁political ▁approach , ▁Ward ' s ▁system ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁social ▁liberal ism , ▁as ▁distinguished ▁from ▁the ▁classical ▁liberal ism ▁of ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁and ▁nin ete enth ▁centuries ▁which ▁featured ▁such ▁think ers ▁as ▁Adam ▁Smith ▁and ▁John ▁Stuart ▁Mill . ▁While ▁classical ▁liberal ism ▁had ▁sought ▁prosper ity ▁and ▁progress ▁through ▁la isse z - f aire , ▁Ward ' s ▁" American ▁social ▁liberal ism " ▁sought ▁to ▁enh ance ▁social ▁progress ▁through ▁direct ▁government ▁inter vention . ▁Ward ▁believed ▁that ▁in ▁large , ▁complex ▁and ▁rapidly ▁growing ▁soci eties ▁human ▁freedom ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁achieved ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁a ▁strong ▁dem ocr atic ▁government ▁acting ▁in ▁the ▁interest ▁of ▁the ▁individual . ▁The ▁characteristic ▁element ▁of ▁Ward ' s ▁thinking ▁was ▁his ▁faith ▁that ▁government , ▁acting ▁on ▁the ▁empir ical ▁and ▁scientific ally ▁based ▁find ings ▁of ▁the ▁science ▁of ▁soci ology , ▁could ▁be ▁har ness ed ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁near ▁U top ian ▁social ▁order . ▁ ▁Progress ive ▁thinking ▁had ▁a ▁prof ound ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁administr ations ▁of ▁Pres idents ▁The odore ▁Ro ose vel t , ▁Wood row ▁Wilson , ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁and ▁Ly nd on ▁B . ▁Johnson ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁liberal ▁wing ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁Democratic