Croly, Herbert (1869-1930), was an American political philosopher. He favored the development of large corporations, large labor unions, and strong governments. He believed they would result in more goods, lower costs, and higher wages, and thus bring about an improved way of life for the American people. Croly’s most important book was The Promise of American Life (1909). It warned against the carelessness and wastefulness of American economic planning in the past, and called for a national program of discipline under a strong central government. It also called for a tax on the incomes of corporations, a federal inheritance tax, and support of trade unions. Croly was born in New York City. He received an A.B. degree from Harvard University in 1910. In 1914, he founded The New Republic magazine.
