The New Republic

The New Republic, journal of opinion edited in Washington, D.C. and later New York City, that remained one of the most influential magazines in the United States from its founding in 1914. The magazine was begun by Willard Straight with Herbert David Croly as its editor. The New Republic reflected the progressive movement and sought reforms in American government and society. Among its early editors or contributors were Randolph Silliman Bourne, Walter Lippmann, and Malcolm Cowley.

Early on, the journal supported the formation of labour unions, the eight-hour workday, and women’s suffrage. It also supported U.S. Pres. Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy during World War I but later broke with him and opposed the Treaty of Versailles. The magazine’s popularity declined in the 1920s, when its liberal viewpoint was out of favour, but it revived in the 1930s. After early opposing him, The New Republic ended up supporting Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration and the New Deal. In 1946 Roosevelt’s former vice president, Henry A. Wallace, became the journal’s editor but was ultimately forced to resign.

Martin Peretz, who purchased the magazine in 1974, held the title of editor in chief from 1978 to 2011. By the end of the 20th century, The New Republic was publishing a broader array of editorial opinion and commentary that reflected many political viewpoints, but that diffusion of opinion, as well as shifting ownership and halting efforts to pursue a robust digital strategy, contributed to the magazine’s perceived stagnation. Despite its relatively small readership, The New Republic continued to be an influential journal of commentary and analysis. Its print edition, long published weekly, shifted to nearly biweekly publication in 2007 and to nearly monthly publication in 2015. It was purchased in 2012 by Chris Hughes, a cofounder of the social networking Web site Facebook. In 2016 Hughes sold the journal to Win McCormack, a political activist and publisher.