The Democratic Party's struggle to retain support from the working class, challenges of aligning with different voter groups, and the impact of neoliberalism on the party's economic policies are discussed in this podcast. The speaker also explores the Democratic Party's stance on gender affirming care for children and shares book recommendations on political and demographic trends and the Soviet Union's formation.
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Quick takeaways
The Democratic Party's coalition has shifted, losing support among the white working class and some non-white working class voters.
Neoliberal economic policies and progressive cultural positions have alienated certain working class voters, creating a tension between policy goals and political support.
Implementing industrial policy and focusing on infrastructure and manufacturing may influence working class perceptions of the Democratic Party, but changes in policy do not always guarantee electoral success.
Deep dives
The Democratic Party's Changing Coalition
The podcast discusses the shift in the Democratic Party's coalition over the years. In the past, the party benefited from the growth of non-white voters, the rise of professionals, and support from the working class. However, the party has lost significant support among the white working class, as well as some non-white working class voters, leading to a divide within the party. This shift in coalition has implications for the party's chances of building a dominant majority.
The Challenge of Neoliberalism
The podcast explores the impact of neoliberal economic policies on the Democratic Party's support among the working class. While these policies helped the party regain competitiveness in the 1990s, they have also led to a sense of betrayal among certain working class voters. The party's adoption of more progressive cultural positions, such as on immigration and crime, has further alienated some working class voters. The podcast suggests that the party must navigate the tension between achieving policy goals and maintaining political support.
The Complexity of Radical Ideas
The podcast delves into the dilemma of pursuing unpopular but necessary ideas within a political party. It acknowledges that some radical ideas eventually become consensus positions, but emphasizes the need for a careful evaluation of the policies themselves and the political realities surrounding them. The discussion touches on issues like gender affirming care and climate change as examples of policies that may face significant resistance and require strategic decision-making.
The Challenges of Industrial Policy and Economic Performance
The podcast explores the challenges of implementing industrial policy and how it relates to a party's economic performance. The discussion highlights Joe Biden's economic agenda, which focuses on infrastructure, industrial policy, and revitalizing American manufacturing. It questions whether different policies can shift working class perceptions of the Democratic Party and why changes in policy may not always lead to electoral success.
The Impact of Cultural Liberalism on Democratic Party
The podcast delves into the impact of cultural liberalism on the Democratic Party. It discusses how the party's stand on issues like racial equality, gender, and transgender rights has evolved, going beyond equal opportunity to focus on equal outcomes and issues of equity. It explores the challenge of party leaders appealing to a broader electorate and the importance of the aesthetics and how politicians are perceived. The discussion also raises the question of how parties can break free from being captured by their own base, and the difficulty of separating policy from the preferences of the fervent activists within the party.
Political analysts used to say that the Democratic Party was riding a demographic wave that would lead to an era of dominance. But that “coalition of the ascendant” never quite jelled. The party did benefit from a rise in nonwhite voters and college-educated professionals, but it has also shed voters without a college degree. All this has made the Democrats’ political math a lot more precarious. And it also poses a kind of spiritual problem for Democrats who see themselves as the party of the working class.
Ruy Teixeira is one of the loudest voices calling on the Democratic Party to focus on winning these voters back. He’s a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the politics editor of the newsletter The Liberal Patriot. His 2002 book, “The Emerging Democratic Majority,” written with John B. Judis, was seen as prophetic after Barack Obama won in 2008 with the coalition he’d predicted. But he also warned in that book that Democrats needed to stop hemorrhaging white working-class voters for this majority to hold. And now Teixeira and Judis have a new book, “Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes.”
In this conversation, I talk to Teixeira about how he defines the working class; the economic, social and cultural forces that he thinks have driven these voters from the Democratic Party; whether Joe Biden’s industrial and pro-worker policies could win some of these voters back, or if economic policies could reverse this trend at all; and how to think through the trade-offs of pursuing bold progressive policies that could push working-class voters even further away.
This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Rollin Hu and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero.
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