NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani on Abundance, Socialism, and How to Change a Mind

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Jun 23, 2025

Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist and New York City mayoral candidate, joins the discussion to share his vision of an 'agenda of abundance.' He argues for addressing housing challenges and implementing innovative policies to enhance government efficiency. Mamdani critiques bureaucratic frustrations, particularly with the MTA, and highlights the importance of learning from successful reforms in other cities. Additionally, he proposes city-run grocery stores to tackle food deserts, advocating for socialism that pragmatically improves urban governance.

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INSIGHT

Abundance Means Effective Government

An agenda of abundance means government must deliver public excellence and effectiveness.
Efficiency in government is essential to justify its role and maintain public trust.

INSIGHT

Public Inefficiency Undermines Trust

Government inefficiency often undermines left-wing goals and public trust.
A major example is the New York MTA's poor management and the impact on daily commuters.

ADVICE

Cut Subway Costs via Utility Reform

To reduce subway construction costs, focus on reforming utility relocation schedules with public service corporations.
This reduces inflated infrastructure costs caused by uncoordinated upgrades from multiple entities.

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Before today’s show, a personal announcement. After almost 17 years at The Atlantic, I have just officially moved my writing full time to Substack, the newsletter platform. If you like this show, if you’re a fan of my work, I think you’ll love what I’m trying to build. Sign up here.

'Abundance,' the book I cowrote with Ezra Klein, has received sharp pushback from left-wing commentators. But the response among left-wing politicians has been strikingly different. While Bernie Sanders devotees have repeatedly bashed the book, Representative Ro Khanna (D-California), an outspoken advocate of Bernie’s signature policy proposal, Medicare for All, has announced his support for abundance on several occasions. While several people have accused the book of ignoring policies to increase welfare, Wes Moore, the progressive Maryland governor whose private-sector career was devoted to reducing poverty, said in a recent speech that Democrats have to change from being the party of “no” and “slow” to the party of “yes” and “now.”

Then there is Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist candidate for mayor of New York City. Mamdani and I have very different politics on a range of issues: housing, affordability, education, levels of taxation, and spending. But Mamdani has in the last few weeks embraced what he calls an agenda of abundance. He’s told podcasts like Pod Save America that he thinks leftist critics of abundance have oversimplified the book and that our approach to making government work better is exactly what the left needs.

I saw some people point to Mamdani’s name-checks of 'Abundance' and say, "This is great!" while others warned, "It’s a ruse! Stay away!" I wanted to talk to the man himself. So I was very gratified that Mamdani and I found 30 minutes to sit down Saturday and talk calmly about abundance and the left, how we agree, how we disagree, why government efficiency ought to be a virtue of all leaders (especially those on the left who want government to do much more), and, finally, how to change our minds. On this point, Mamdani and I are in full agreement: To see the errors in our own thinking requires that we have the courage to talk to people we do not agree with.

If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.

Host: Derek Thompson

Guest: Zohran Mamdani

Producer: Devon Baroldi

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