To Salvage American Democracy, Rebuild the Democratic Party
Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) in a recent conversation at the Rockefeller Centre with Russell Muirhead, Professor of Democracy and Politics at Dartmouth College, spoke with refreshing candor that the Democratic Party is in peril. It needs a serious re-evaluation of its deplorable electoral performance despite facing an opponent perceived as deeply flawed. In a similar vein, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut grieved that “Our political brand is fundamentally broken, the rule of law is disintegrating and a lot of people still don’t know what Trump’s actual agenda is.”
A distinguished Marine Corps Iraq War veteran (2003-2008), Congressman Moulton said that Democrats “really do need to look ourselves in the mirror right now and say what are we doing wrong that by definition we have lost touch with the majority of Americans." Behind the scenes, there are people like him who are pushing for change. Still, there's resistance because lots of people, especially those in positions of power prefer the status quo and do not wish to implement any transformative changes.
There's a struggle within the Democratic Party between those who believe moving further left would energize the base and those who advocate for reaching out to disaffected Republicans and independents. The Party is struggling to articulate clear, compelling alternatives to Republican policies, particularly on issues like immigration, tariffs, and foreign policy. As the Congressman sees it, the real heart of the matter, is the party's identity, whether Democrats really know what they stand for. The Democratic Party's image as the party of government was undermined by the perceived inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the federal government (under the Biden administration) and the problems in major cities run by Democrats.
Talking of the housing crisis, Congressman Moulton, who serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, argued that liberals bear some responsibility for the housing crisis due to restrictive zoning policies that limit housing supply. Referring to an article in the Atlantic, he said that housing policies, specifically restrictive zoning regulations implemented over the past few decades, are a major driver of the current housing shortage. Democrats need to re-evaluate their role in creating these problems, and “need to do some looking in the mirror when it comes to housing policy.”
He highlighted the link between housing affordability and transportation, arguing that improved transportation infrastructure, particularly public transit and high-speed rail, is essential. "Housing policy would also be a lot better if we had better transportation specifically if you could just get to where the jobs are from places that are affordable to live." Construction projects in America face significant delays and obstacles due to a complex web of factors. Environmental regulations, while well-intentioned, have contributed to lengthy approval processes and increased project timelines. The permitting process, including environmental reviews under NEPA, can introduce pauses for impact evaluation, though studies show these are not always the primary cause of delays.
What can Democrats do? Sit back, offer constructive opposition, wait for the 2025 mid-term elections, and see if the voters would give them a majority in the House enabling them to checkmate Trump’s unconstitutional power grab? Congressman Moulton argued that the Democratic Party must offer concrete plans and demonstrate a willingness to change. "It's not enough just to blame the other side. You've got to have a plan yourself. You gotta be willing to show that we are willing to change to make things better for Americans or they're just going to continue to dismiss [us]."
Just returning from the Munich Security Conference, Congressman Moulton bemoaned, "Our allies sat down with us after that abominable speech (Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s outrageous remark about Ukraine’s membership in NATO and reclaiming the pre-war borders with Russia) and were really shaken because they questioned whether we would be with them to prevent another war in Europe." He serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
Trump’s ruthlessness in pushing Ukraine toward a settlement that could favor Russia, thus damaging Kyiv’s negotiating position, and his skepticism toward NATO and U.S. military commitments could upset the balance of power in Europe. Moreover, a more confrontational stance on China, without clear diplomatic or military coordination with allies, could further stress global stability. This reckless approach, coupled with a possible retrenchment from traditional international alliances, could create situations that adversarial nations could exploit, increasing the likelihood of broader geopolitical instability. The uncertainty surrounding U.S. commitments under Trump’s rudderless leadership could challenge the resilience of the international order that America built after World War II.
To win back America, Congressman Moulton admonished, the Democratic Party needs to show a willingness to change and offer concrete solutions for pressing problems; demonstrate openness to reform and change; listen more and preach less; put up smart leaders in place who understand how to communicate with people outside of liberal groups; be willing to debate contentious issues; offer clear and compelling policy alternatives; and be deliberative in opposing the administration, focusing on strategic battles. Most of all, today, the Democratic Party needs a visionary leader, someone like JFK who not only vowed to do the impossible, go to the Moon, but also, metaphorically speaking, laid the blueprint as to how to do it.
Narain Batra hosts the podcast America Unbound.