Why Trump’s Politics Will Outlast Him
More voters now expect extreme positions, and more politicians are finding it harder to resist taking them.
Is this America’s political future?
Photographer: Ralph Freso/Getty Images North AmericaDemocrats, according to a recent Gallup poll, have a more favorable opinion of socialism than of capitalism. I don’t take this to be an endorsement of actual socialism as we might have understood the term four decades ago, however; I see it as the expression of a desire to move much further to the left, and if necessary to think outside the usual boxes.
Look at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic candidate who is likely to represent parts of New York City in the next Congress. Her agenda calls for single-payer health insurance, a federal jobs guarantee and the abolition of ICE. Whether or not you agree, it is striking how much these stances have become part of the broader debate.