Platform Development Overview posted by Ben

American Progressives have put a great deal of thought since the election into what they see as the failure of the Democrats to build a true party platform. A number of different projects have appeared, tried to build consensus, and ended up with functional, boring statements. (The Principles Project is a notable example.)

Two key elements have provoked the most disparity, principles and policy. The general goal of these projects has been to begin with principles, from which policy should emerge. For example:

We believe in America's historic promise of liberty, justice and the expansion of opportunity for all people. These commitments to fundamental human dignity and a better nation for all animate the American spirit and give us a sense of common purpose. We honor these commitments by recognizing that with the great freedoms afforded us comes an even greater responsibility to see that those freedoms are extended to all people in all places.

While this articulation of an underlying progressive philosophy or moral agenda certainly has its place in the discussion, I feel that it misses a key element of modern liberalism, which is its diversity. For instance, Lakoff separates the core basis of progressive ideology into six categories, all of which want similar, compatible goals, but that all operate from different core positions and priorities.

A current trope in the punditry is that conservative values voters won the election for Bush. From a left wing perspective, that has been translated into "People have been duped into voting against their own self-interest," or "So-called 'moral issues' have blinded conservatives into electing politicians whose policies will cause them great personal harm." When these attitudes are combined with a high-minded desire to create a set of progressive principles, the nuts-and-bolts elements of a progressive platform get swept aside in favor of generalized moralizing.

The problem is that a moral platform without a clear call to action communicates nothing. Look again at the paragraph that I quoted above. Taken out of context, would you be able to guess what political perspective it represented?

My goal over the next few months is to develop a personal, articulate issues platform. The idea came to me while I was in the air last Monday, composing yet another thundering speech in my head over some issue or another. I am going to be specific. I am going to elucidate and explain general and personal approaches to issues like water access, privatization, Native American rights policy, and mass transit. I am doing this for two reasons.

First, by looking at policy on an issue-by-issue basis, I can find discrepancies in specific elements of overarching progressive ideology and then can seek to find a more unified articulation of those disparate elements. Second, I hope to end up with a document that will inspire discussion in others and that will enable me to maintain a moral and intellectual consistency when I discuss politics in the future.

I will be using a question and answer format separated into four distinct parts. For each issue, as defined by a question like "Why is free access to water important?" I will offer a definition of the key issue, indicate why it is important, point out current problems relating to the issue, and then articulate options for future solutions, framed hopefully as a direct call to action.

Now, I am by no means an expert in, say, international security. I don't pretend to be. But what I can do is to seek moral and intellectual consistency across a wide range of issues. I can clarify my own thought. And hopefully I can inspire discussion about the issues.

On that note, I would like to end this post by presenting a draft list of the issues that I would like to address. If you feel that something crucial is missing, please don't hesitate to mention it in the comments.

In no particular order:

Water (access, management, development)
Corporatism
Basic human rights
Native Americans
Residential and Commercial development
Property ownership and taxation
Rural America
Death Penalty and the American justice system
Privatization
Role of the U.S. in the world
Women's rights
Minority rights and diversity
Role of government in America
Government transparency and accountability
Role of taxes
The social safety net
Separation of Church and State
Government subsidies
Utilities and privatization
Voting systems transparency and reform
Education, public and private
Role of business
Environment
Logging/forest management
Energy dependency and innovation
Space exploration
Broadcast standards, decency, and censorship
Judicial systems and 'tort reform'
Abortion
Privacy and civil rights
Race issues
Free speech
Worker's rights
Food safety and regulation
International economics and development
Internet regulation
Media standards: news
Mass transit solutions
Job migration/outsourcing
Role of the military
Government and the arts
Public radio and television
Terrorism and security
Poverty (domestic and foreign)