[Rockingham]

The driving force of TR's reformism was opposition to the corruption and predatory commercial practices that were routine in the era. Big business regarded that state of affairs as routine and rightful, and legislatures and courts at the time usually agreed, being pervasively under the influence of virtually open bribery.

The initial round of progressive laws and regulatory agencies proved to be inadequate. This led TR and other Progressives to urge a more intrusive set of regulations and agencies. This was after TR was out of office. His proposals failed to gain many adherents.

You mention activist courts. Modern legal scholarship mostly considers the legal decisions against progressive reform measures as judicial activism and based on invalid constitutional theories.

[nicollo]

The driving force of TR's reformism...

was political opportunism, ego, and a loathing fear of that which he could not control, which is at the heart of the progressive project.

I get why conservatives like TR's personality, machismo, etc. etc. but he was wrong on so much and, worst of all, he launched the progressive tide that took over the nation under his cousin FDR.

There is NOTHING in the Constitution that supports corporate, public or other corruption. It must be addressed within and not around Constitutional protections, for which TR had little patience. His kind blamed corporate and political corruption on the Constitution and used that as the excuse to dismantle it.

Btw, TR loved Croley.