# What would a Democratic Contract With America look like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 9, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644 "2015-03-09T23:01:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/81 "2015-03-11T03:10:15Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Actually, [it goes as high as 2.5%](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_tax#In_practice). Does anyone read the links before they post them? Because here’s what stands out in just the portion you quoted: > [@](#): > > [citation needed] > [citation needed] > [not in citation given] > [citation needed] > [citation needed] ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/82 "2015-03-11T03:38:48Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Changing into a purely economic populist party that deemphasizes social issues will cause the coalitions to shuffle. The democrats will win more white working class voters and lose more white professional voters. Giving up on abortion would cost the Democrats’ their advantage among women voters. I’m skeptical of both claims. I don’t think most white professionals who currently vote for Democrats think the Republicans have better economic policy. Do you have some reason for believing that to be the case? Similarly, why do you think the the Dem advantage on women is about abortion? I thought the gender splits on abortion weren’t that large. There are much larger gender splits on other issues, from minimum wage increases to foreign policy. Abortion is, perhaps surprisingly, relatively gender-neutral. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/83 "2015-03-11T04:46:06Z")
What’s the point of “Not yet 60%”? Do you think every single plank of Gingrich’s Contract With America had 60% support? Not even close! The idea was to 1) come up with several planks that would appeal to different constituencies, and get to–not 60%, but 51% to 55%–by **delivering on all of them;** and 2) sneak in some less popular ideas to advocate for those as the new face of reform, making them _sound_ popular and “reformy.” If the Democrats try to run hard to the middle, they’re not copying Gingrich, but Clinton! Or Obama or Kerry or somebody. It is not lethal to go hard left, if they hit enough different sub-groups that it adds up to \>50%, and deliver something to each of them. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/84 "2015-03-11T04:54:09Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Good stuff, except for the first and last. The payroll tax cap issue is problematic since it sets in pretty low. That’s a very significant tax increase for a big part of the democratic base, especially in the more well off blue states. Not a 60% issue when you get into the details. Hey, hey, Schumer! You are free to join the Grand Old Party. Get a crucifix, start denying climate change happens, whatever. We’re trying to win here, in constituencies that aren’t downstate NY. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/85 "2015-03-11T10:02:54Z")
Here’s a bill that might poll at 60%: [Bill would make policing for revenue a civil rights violation](http://wapo.st/1MnVClu). ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/86 "2015-03-11T11:46:57Z")
Some very valid proposals from the OP and others. I would add term limits to members of Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/87 "2015-03-11T12:16:47Z")
> [@DrumBum](#): > > Some very valid proposals from the OP and others. I would add term limits to members of Congress. Has there been a big push for term limits recently, though? It was in the actual Contract With America because legislative term limits were a big, bizarre fad in the early 90s. The whole term limits movement seems to have died down since then, though. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/88 "2015-03-11T13:46:56Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > What’s the point of “Not yet 60%”? > > Do you think every single plank of Gingrich’s Contract With America had 60% support? Not even close! The idea was to 1) come up with several planks that would appeal to different constituencies, and get to–not 60%, but 51% to 55%–by **delivering on all of them;** and 2) sneak in some less popular ideas to advocate for those as the new face of reform, making them _sound_ popular and “reformy.” > > If the Democrats try to run hard to the middle, they’re not copying Gingrich, but Clinton! Or Obama or Kerry or somebody. It is not lethal to go hard left, if they hit enough different sub-groups that it adds up to \>50%, and deliver something to each of them. As noted just a few posts above, I too think the 60% bar is not correct, although probably for different reasons. At any rate, you need to put forth some specific proposals, not just say they should go “hard left”. Which “hard left” policies do you propose to put in The Contract? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/89 "2015-03-11T14:05:30Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > 1-Comprehensive immigration reform constituting increased border security and a path to citizenship for those already here. > > 2- Protection of Social Security and stopping any plans to privatize. > > 3- Extension of Medicare to anyone who wishes to buy it. > > 4- Body cameras on all federal, state, and local law enforcement officers > > 5- Enhanced consumer protection from predatory business practices > > 6- Free wifi for everybody > > 7- Net neutrality Not a bad start, **Bob**. #2 might be good to keep even if there is effectively no support anywhere for Privatizing SS. Even Bush’s effort to **partially** privatize it got no traction. And #4 is probably unconstitutional, at the state level. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/90 "2015-03-11T14:12:21Z")
Here is what the [Kos](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/22/1263930/-A-Democratic-contract-with-America-How-to-retake-the-House-and-combat-economic-inequality) thinks such a contract should look like: > [@](#): > > DEMOCRATIC ACTIONS: > > 1. Increase the federal minimum hourly wage to $12.50 and index it to inflation. > > 2. Create jobs through federally funded infrastructure spending. > > 3. Improve education—and save money in the long run—by funding universal pre-kindergarten. > > 4. Increase the earned income tax credit and make more middle-income families eligible. > > 5. Increase the personal exemption on federal income taxes by $500. > > 6. Shore up Social Security by subjecting income over $300,000 to the payroll tax. > > 7. Implement the Warren Buffett Rule to ensure that people earning over $1 million are paying at least an effective tax rate of 30 percent. > > 8. Eliminate “Mitt Romney’s favorite tax break” to ensure hedge fund managers pay regular income tax rates on their incomes. > > 9. Eliminate subsidies that go to millionaire farmers. > > 10. Close other corporate tax loopholes, including ones that reward corporations for moving jobs overseas. You could also look over [this](http://www.pollingreport.com/) site and pick polls that seem to show a majority of Americans want something. There are a few things under budget and taxes that might work, such as ‘Should the government do more to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor in this country, or is this something the government should not be doing?’…80% of Democrats and over 50% of Independents seemingly approve of this, which seems to me to be a majority in the range of 60% of all Americans (only 29% of Republicans agree). There is this one as well: ‘In your view, is it essential or not essential that the United States continue to be a world leader in space exploration?’ I’d go for that as a plank on the Democratic contract with America. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/91 "2015-03-11T14:15:13Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not a bad start, **Bob**. #2 might be good to keep even if there is effectively no support anywhere for Privatizing SS. Even Bush’s effort to **partially** privatize it got no traction. And #4 is probably unconstitutional, at the state level. #4 would also cost an ungodly amount of money…but if you are going to tax the rich and their wealthy to an inch of their lives I guess money won’t be an issue. #6 would be a fundamental break with the concept of Social Security as well, but what the hell…I’m sure it would be popular, which is what this is all about. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/92 "2015-03-11T14:22:29Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Has there been a big push for term limits recently, though? It was in the actual Contract With America because legislative term limits were a big, bizarre fad in the early 90s. The whole term limits movement seems to have died down since then, though. Not that I am aware of. My comment was just a little bit of wishful thinking on my part, since neither party would be in favor of it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/93 "2015-03-11T14:25:05Z")
> [@XT](#): > > #4 would also cost an ungodly amount of money…but if you are going to tax the rich and their wealthy to an inch of their lives I guess money won’t be an issue. #6 would be a fundamental break with the concept of Social Security as well, but what the hell…I’m sure it would be popular, which is what this is all about. One point of clarification about Bob’s #4: It might be constitutional for the courts to force certain municipalities to outfit police with body cameras if a systematic record of abuse can be documented (such as what we are seeing in Ferguson) and litigate in court. I’m thinking of how the courts took over certain school districts they thought were not desegregating. However, a blanket federal requirement on all state and local law enforcement agencies would probably be struck down by the courts. BTW, that’s a nice link to the Kos’s list. Pretty good list, too. (“Good” meaning good for the Democrats. I don’t agree with all of them, personally.) ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/94 "2015-03-11T14:31:00Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > BTW, that’s a nice link to the Kos’s list. Pretty good list, too. (“Good” meaning good for the Democrats. I don’t agree with all of them, personally.) I don’t agree with them all either, and I don’t think all of them meet the 60% (or whatever) of popular support, but it’s a good starting point for Dems. Essentially, if they DO go for a populist agenda (which a Contract with America kind of presupposed…if this is just a Contract with Democrats, especially those who lean left like me, which seems to be what many posters in here are posting too then I don’t see it working), to me that means they are moving to becoming a centrist party, which I’m all in favor of. I don’t see it happening, but what the hell. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/95 "2015-03-11T14:51:31Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Here’s another thing to consider: There are just too many red statehouses in America now. The national Democratic Party needs to refocus its efforts on winning state legislatures and governorships. What can we put in the Contract that might help that along? This is important because, among other reasons, the state offices are farm-teams for Congress. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/96 "2015-03-11T14:53:51Z")
I think Markos nailed it. That’s a good one. I don’t support more than half the items there, and some are quite timid(why only millionaire farmers? Why a donut hole in the payroll tax?), but they are at least popular. But to get back to my one criticism, it shows the difficulty of this for Democrats. They just can’t tax the middle class anymore. Markos even included yet another middle class tax break, although he’s smart enough to make it a lot less than meets the eye(saves the average person not even $100). The Democrats are limited to goodies for everyone up to the very well off, paid for by taxes only on the 1%. It’s a straitjacket. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/97 "2015-03-11T14:54:14Z")
> [@XT](#): > > I don’t agree with them all either, and I don’t think all of them meet the 60% (or whatever) of popular support, but it’s a good starting point for Dems. Essentially, if they DO go for a populist agenda (which a Contract with America kind of presupposed…if this is just a Contract with Democrats, especially those who lean left like me, which seems to be what many posters in here are posting too then I don’t see it working), to me that means they are moving to becoming a centrist party, which I’m all in favor of. I don’t see it happening, but what the hell. I don’t follow. How does a populist agenda equate to becoming a centrist party? Of course [populism](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Populism) as such belongs nowhere in particular on the left-right spectrum, but I should think any populist agenda proposed by Democrats would make the party the **leftist** party that it should have been all along. (I’m talking economic, not social/cultural/religious populism, here.) And I think a lot of conservatives popping into this thread are grossly underestimating the electoral appeal of left-populism. If the American people ever get a chance to really, effectively vote against the plutocracy, they’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/98 "2015-03-11T15:02:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I don’t follow. How does a populist agenda equate to becoming a centrist party? Of course [populism](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Populism) as such belongs nowhere in particular on the left-right spectrum, but I should think any populist agenda proposed by Democrats would make the party the **leftist** party that it should have been all along. (I’m talking economic, not social/cultural/religious populism, here.) Because I don’t agree with you that left wing is populist in the US. I think that most populist policies that the Dems could write into a Contract with American (as opposed to a Contract with Dems Like BG and other Left Leaning Dopers) would be centrist, by and large. Essentially, if a left leaning/left wing agenda could get 60%+ popular support from Americans (as opposed to Democrats) then we’d be there already, since they would win every election. Since, instead, what we get are parties playing to the base in the primaries then rushing to the center for the general elections I’m going to go with that stance until I’m shown the error of my ways. > [@](#): > > And I think a lot of conservatives popping into this thread are grossly underestimating the electoral appeal of left-populism. If the American people ever get a chance to really, effectively vote against the plutocracy, they’ll take it. Well, tell the Democratic Party to run on that as their platform then and see how it works out for them. ‘Vote for me and I’ll destroy the plutocracy keeping you all down! Power to the PEOPLE!!!’. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/99 "2015-03-11T15:12:32Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Essentially, if a left leaning/left wing agenda could get 60%+ popular support from Americans (as opposed to Democrats) then we’d be there already, since they would win every election. If the Dems **offered** such an agenda. At present, they don’t, and have not for decades. > [@XT](#): > > Well, tell the Democratic Party to run on that as their platform then and see how it works out for them. ‘Vote for me and I’ll destroy the plutocracy keeping you all down! Power to the PEOPLE!!!’. Unfortunately, the leading Dems can’t do that, because the plutocrats own them. (The difference from the Pubs is that the Dems are not **wholly** owned.) But such a message properly crafted from a credible source would indeed have considerable voter-appeal. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/100 "2015-03-11T15:13:14Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And I think a lot of conservatives popping into this thread are grossly underestimating the electoral appeal of left-populism. If the American people ever get a chance to really, effectively vote against the plutocracy, they’ll take it. Are we to understand that YOU know what the American people want? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644.md?page=6)