The Party's Not over: A New Vision for the Democrats [Hardcover]

Jeff Faux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1996

Politics is about storytelling, writes Jeff Faux, one of America's leading economic and political thinkers. In The Party's Not Over, Faux describes how the Democratic and Republican parties have traditionally competed with different stories about the American path to prosperity. The hero of the Democrats' story was the ordinary worker and consumer; the hero of the Republicans' story was the investor. Over the last twenty years, Faux argues, the Democrats have abandoned their economic story, confusing voters about what it means to be a Democrat. Liberals have splintered along social issues, while "New Democrats" have championed the causes of deregulated global markets and conservative social values. Faux argues that the New Democrat strategy is a trap. The reality is that the new, brutally competitive economy - marked by downsizing, falling living standards, and rising anxiety - has undercut the credibility of the Republican story. It has become increasingly evident that the combination of weak government and unconstrained markets provides neither opportunity nor security for the majority of Americans who work for a living. In a powerful narrative of his own, Faux shows that the Democrats have a historic opportunity to return as America's majority party. To seize this opportunity, they must make the working family the center of their story, while updating their message to fit today's global realities. Faux outlines a program for creating more jobs, empowering employees, and investing in the nation's people, infrastructure, and environment. He also proposes a national grassroots campaign to reduce the influence of money in political campaigns. Taken together, Faux's recommendations formthe basis for a new social contract, making The Party's Not Over a blueprint for Democratic leaders today and for generations to come.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Democratic Party, charges Faux, echoes a Republican view of the world by positioning itself as a socially conservative, pro-business, centrist party with a long-term commitment to austerity. President of the Economic Policy Institute, Faux, who was an adviser to Clinton's 1992 campaign, believes that the Democrats, trapped by their timidity, have betrayed their historic role. As an example, he cites Reagan's brainchild, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Clinton campaigned for and which, Faux estimates, has cost the U.S. some 300,000 jobs. Faux envisions a revitalized Democratic Party grounded in a "liberal nationalism" built around the class interests of working Americans of all colors. Among the salient proposals in his vigorous manifesto are: Rebuild America first, aiming for full employment with a higher minimum wage, investment in infrastructure and cities and lowered interest rates; slash the military budget and retrain and retool defense-related firms and workers; invest in public education; widen corporate responsibility to include employee training, profit sharing and portable pensions.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

For liberal Democrats searching for recognition both by their own party and the general electorate, this book offers some intriguing suggestions. Faux, a 1992 Clinton campaign adviser, president of the Economic Policy Institute, and contributor to the New York Times and other publications, argues that the Democratic Party's message has become too much like that of the Republicans and consequently has seen its popular appeal eroding. After a brief but rather liberal interpretation of political history since FDR, he explains how the GOP sweep in the 1994 congressional elections caused the Democrats, in their desire to be accepted, to adopt a platform calling for smaller government, balanced budgets, and cuts in federal programs. In Faux's opinon, the clear winners here are the Republicans. Faux proposes a new Democratic platform: liberal nationalism based on class interests. By convincing voters that the economic system is broken and can only be repaired by a government interested in the welfare of working Americans can the Democratic party reconnect with its natural constituencies. While conservatives will see the book as more liberal whining, traditional liberals and independents will enjoy it. For academic and larger public library political collections.?Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1st edition (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465004032
• ISBN-13: 978-0465004034
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,777,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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