A New American Bargain: The Reciprocity Society

Democrats need a new, revitalized public philosophy and politics not only to achieve victory in 2004, but also to have any hope of attaining majority status in the next decade. In contrast to a conservative Opt Out ideology increasingly at odds with the best American civic traditions, Democrats should seek to usher in the "Reciprocity Society." Characterized by shared national identity and values, commitment to common goals and public institutions, national service, mutual responsibility, and universal opportunity, the Reciprocity Society calls on Americans to renew their faith in each other and their government.

A "New American Bargain" encompassing the ideals of the Reciprocity Society would breathe new life into the American social contract. Unlike the failed populist Gore campaign of 2000 and the incomplete "New Covenant" of 1992, the Democrats' "New American Bargain" in 2004 builds on wartime national unity to modernize and cement Americans' unwritten agreements to each other, their communities and their government.

Five themes animate the politics of the New American Bargain:

• Balance Market Incentives and Market Limitations
  Since their days in the political wilderness in the 1970s and 1980s, Democrats have rightly begun to endorse market incentives rather than redistributional policies for economic growth and welfare reform, among other areas. However, the GOP's extreme, almost religious support for unfettered markets in all areas of American life is undermining the public good, as corporate scandals, media deregulation and secret energy policy attest. As Robert Kuttner pointed out in Everything for Sale, market dynamics applied to areas such as education, health care and energy often lead to socially unacceptable market outcomes. The disaster of energy deregulation in California is among the most glaring examples. Democrats must balance market incentives and market failures in public policy.
  
  
• Espouse Universal Citizenship and Identity
  Democrats were once seen as the "universal party" in the United States, advocating that the rights, privileges, and opportunities of American life must be available to all citizens. A generation after the victories of the civil rights movement, many Americans now see the Democrats as the party of group preferences, identity politics, and multi-culturalism. Trent Lott, Rick Santorum and John Ashcroft aside, the GOP has been increasingly successful in claiming the universal party mantle through across-the-board tax cuts, social security privatization, and other sound bite policies. A Democratic "New American Bargain" must restore the party to its role as advocate of universal notion of American citizenship and opportunity.
  
  
• Encourage a Politics of Aspiration and Social Mobility
  In 2000 and again in 2002, Democrats fell into the trap of being the party of the status quo. Al Gore's populist campaign ("people against the powerful") and the Democrats oppositional politics of the mid-term elections did little more than seek to protect existing benefits and entitlements for Americans seemingly frozen in unchanging class roles. In poll after poll, however, Americans consistently view themselves as occupying a higher rung of the socio-economic ladder than they in fact do. Whether this is a function of Americans' perceptions or hopes, Democratic politics must be aspirational. Democrats must be the party of social mobility, not the status quo. No one wants to remain working class, especially if "they work hard and play by the rules."
  
  
• Renew the Public Interest and the Common Good
  In both public policy and in public rhetoric, Democrats must fight the GOP opt-out philosophy, calling on Americans to renew their commitment to the public interest and the common good. Especially during a time of war, Democrats can call on Americans to come together to support, reform, and improve their public institutions, from schools and public lands to energy supplies and health care system. In contrast to President Bush's support for out-of-control private interests, Democrats should ask Americans to rededicate themselves to public institutions and the common good.
  
  
• Recognize Both Individual Rights and Shared Responsibilities
  Democrats have long been the viewed as the party of civil rights and protectors of individual liberties. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Democrats must also be the party of shared responsibilities and mutual commitment. President Bush can't and won't speak in this language; Democrats must. From mandatory national service and health care reform to retirement security and common public schools, Democrats must articulate this bargain of rights and responsibilities.
  
  

1. Introducing the Opt Out Society
2. On Your Own: The Opt Out Society in Practice
3. Branding the Opt Out Society
4. Identity Politics and the Threat from the Left
5. A New American Bargain^TM: The Reciprocity Society^TM
6. The Reciprocity Society in Action