All over the world, political parties are being born and political
pluralism is being fostered. Ironically, here in the United States,
the parties are blurring together ideologically, and the political
process is suffering. One of the messages of this book is that a
vital two-party system is essential to America's political health.
The last thing this country needs, the authors argue, is two
Republican parties. At this critical moment in history, the
Democratic party has the opportunity to offer the nation a real
political choice, a sense of direction, and a program to address
the needs of Americans in a changing world. It is time, they say,
for a change-a change that only the Democrats can provide. As
recounted here, a generation of Republican administrations have had
their chance. The results have not been happy: deepening social
divisions, heightened inequalities in income distribution, a
decaying educational system, environmental exploitation, an
insensitivity to the concerns of the less powerful, the largest
public debt in history, and a foreign policy based on force.
Recurring constitutional crises have also erupted, as epitomized by
the Iran-Contra affair. The record is a sorry one. Alternatives
exist, and the best ones rest with the Democratic party. The
Democrats must lead. It is their responsibility to offer a new
vision of the future and the means for achieving it-to provide a
program that is compassionate, just, and inclusive of all. The
politics of greed, exploitation, self-promotion, and militarism
must be put behind us. Such are the themes of this extraordinary
book. Leading academicians, each an expert in his or her area,
emphasize the need for new leadership, propose contributions that a
progressive Democratic party could make, and suggest what this
party should stand for as well as how it can win in 1992. They urge
the Democrats to be both brave and principled-brave in defying the
conventional wisdom that Democrats must be moderate to win, and
principled in sticking to progressive ideals. The book provides
analysis of such areas as the political impact of an
issue-oriented, liberal party; the campaign and media choices
required to get a progressive message across; the role and concerns
of women, blacks, Hispanics, and other 262underrepresented groups;
electoral and legislative strategies for success; and the substance
of what a progressive policy agenda should contain. Challenging and
thought-provoking, these essays will help reshape political
thinking during this critical period in the nation's history. Their
objective is creation of a society that represents and responds to
human needs, and the authors indicate the way to achieve these
goals through an invigorated, forward-looking Democratic party.
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