Lawfare Daily: Derek Thompson on Abundance and a New Political Order
Mar 18, 2025
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Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic and co-author of Abundance, joins Renée DiResta and Kevin Frazier for a thought-provoking conversation. They explore innovative funding strategies for scientific progress and how technology could reshape political structures. The discussion highlights the need for new political approaches to tackle issues like housing and public health, criticizing stagnant liberal ideologies. They also delve into AI's role in society, examining its implications and the necessity for effective housing reforms to foster individual freedoms.
Abundance emphasizes prioritizing quality of life through accessible resources like affordable housing and clean energy amidst political discord.
The stagnation in progressive politics calls for bold leadership focused on effective governance to overcome institutional bottlenecks and improve outcomes.
Reimagining government roles to facilitate innovation, akin to Operation Warp Speed, can exemplify successful collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Deep dives
The Concept of Abundance
Abundance is envisioned as a framework for achieving societal goals that prioritize the quality of life through affordable housing, clean energy, and innovative technologies. The authors highlight that abundance involves not just increased resources but also the freedom to live fulfilled lives with adequate opportunities. This vision contrasts sharply with a political landscape that often focuses on scarcity and limitation. By reframing abundance as a core tenet of liberal ideology, the authors argue for a recalibration of political efforts to achieve tangible outcomes rather than merely improve processes.
Challenges with Current Political Structures
The existing political culture is described as calcified, filled with bottlenecks that hinder progress in infrastructure and technology. This stagnation is particularly prominent in progressive areas, where despite having advantageous policies, the outcomes do not match the desired liberal ideals. The discussion emphasizes the need for courageous leadership that prioritizes effective governance over partisan objections and bureaucratic processes. Only by addressing these institutional obstacles can meaningful improvement in societal conditions be achieved.
Housing as a Priority for Change
Housing is identified as a critical starting point for resolving broader economic issues affecting citizens' quality of life. The authors stress that the United States faces an affordability crisis, with housing costs being the largest expenditure for families. There is a call for deregulating housing markets to facilitate construction and address the supply-demand imbalance effectively. By redefining the housing approval process to be more straightforward, it would enable developers to meet community needs without being stifled by excessive regulations.
Government's Role in Accelerating Innovation
The concept of Operation Warp Speed is presented as a successful example of government intervention that effectively accelerated innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors argue that this approach illustrates how government can de-risk and streamline processes to achieve substantial progress in public health and technology. It highlights the potential of reimagining governmental roles to serve as facilitators of innovation rather than obstacles. Through smart policymaking and collaboration between public and private sectors, groundbreaking developments can be achieved, further cementing the idea of abundance in societal functions.
Generational Change and New Political Narratives
The authors suggest a generational shift in political ideology, wherein younger people increasingly favor outcomes-oriented governance focused on building rather than blocking progress. They note that as younger generations gain political power, there is potential for redefining liberalism to align with their values of abundance and innovation. This shift may help counteract the existing political paradigms that have stifled development and been resistant to change. Ultimately, by providing a clear framework, the authors aim to inspire future leaders to adopt a more dynamic approach to governance and societal challenges.
Derek Thompson, a senior editor at The Atlantic and co-author (with Ezra Klein) of Abundance, joins Renée DiResta, Associate Research Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown and a Contributing Editor at Lawfare, and Kevin Frazier, AI Innovation and Law Fellow at the UT Austin School of Law and Contributing Editor at Lawfare, to discuss the theory of Abundance and its feasibility in an age of political discord and institutional distrust.
