Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber Economic Populism at a Crossroads
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Nov 19, 2025 
In this engaging conversation, Vivek Chibber, a sociology professor at NYU and editor of Catalyst, dives into the current crisis facing the Democrats. He argues that the party needs to pivot from unpopular cultural positions to focus on economic demands to reconnect with working-class voters. Chibber highlights polling data showing a preference for economic solutions over cultural issues, discusses the risks of centrist strategies, and defends a class-based approach to politics that respects workers' experiences and values.
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Woke Branding Has Hurt Democrats
- The reports show Democrats must shed an elite 'woke' image and foreground broadly shared economic issues.
- This tacitly validates Bernie Sanders' focus on bread-and-butter politics while criticizing Biden-era cultural emphasis.
Economics Tops Cultural Questions In Polls
- Polls consistently rank economic issues top and cultural 'woke' issues bottom when asked as priorities.
- Support for specific policy expansions (like Medicare expansions) is high even if labels like 'Medicare for All' poll worse.
Labels Matter More Than Substance
- Negative polling on policy labels often reflects packaging and realism concerns, not rejection of underlying goals.
- Voters want expansions in coverage and lower drug prices even if they reject certain policy names.