Philip Dru: Administrator is a political novel published anonymously in 1912 by Edward Mandell House, a close advisor to President Woodrow Wilson. Set in the 1920s, it follows Philip Dru, a brilliant West Point graduate who, disillusioned by political corruption and social injustice, leads a peaceful second American revolution. After defeating entrenched special interests, Dru becomes "Administrator of the Republic," ruling as an enlightened dictator and enacting sweeping progressive reforms, including progressive taxation, social insurance, and labor protections. Blending utopian fiction with political theory, the novel offers a fascinating window into Progressive Era thought and is often linked to House's influence on Wilson's policies.
