Democracy Journal Mission Page

Mission News & Events Masthead

The mission of Democracy is to build a vibrant and vital progressivism for the twenty-first century that builds on the movement’s proud history, is true to its central values, and is relevant to present times.

Democracy will publish on a quarterly basis and serve as a place where ideas can be developed and important debates can be spurred.

We do not seek to publish policy papers; we’ll leave the important details on budget line items and dollar figures to others. Rather, we seek breakthrough thinking on the concepts and approaches that respond to the central transformations of our time: the breakdown of the ladder of upward mobility; the promise and problems of an information-based, globalized economy; new national security threats which cross old boundaries and defy old assumptions from jihadist terrorism and nuclear proliferation to climate change, pandemics, and poverty; and a society where people work and live in new and different ways.

Progressives have been at their best when we are both rigorous in looking at the world as it is and vigorous in introducing creative approaches to remake the world as we believe it should be. Democracy is not interested in either reiterating the conventional wisdom or maintaining unity around outdated orthodoxies. We see our role as upsetting tired assumptions, moving past outdated and obsolete divisions, and stretching the envelope of what is accepted by and of progressives.

Our ambitions are large – as is the scale of the work before us – but we have no doubt that ideas can change the course of our nation. Now is the time to fashion a new progressivism for the twenty-first century, and we welcome all who are willing to join in this conversation.

Read the Editors' introductory letter from Issue 1

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America 2021: The Military and the World

The Defense Roundtable: Our largest threat: Pakistan. Our alliances: reshuffled by demographics. Terrorism: on the wane (maybe). New frontier for conflict: the Arctic cirlce. Four experts discuss

The Hezbollah Problem

Steven Simon and Jonathan Stevenson: To defang Iran, and help Lebanon and Israel, we must demilitarize Hezbollah. Which means we'll have to talk to them.

The Rove Legacy

Thomas B. Edsall: He concedes nothing. He accepts no responsibility. He blames liberals. Why Karl Rove is still an icon for today's Republicans.

Toward an i-Welfare State

James P. Pinkerton: When will all the benefits of e-commerce come to e-government? A response to the previous issue's symposium on liberalism.

The Debate Inside Iran

Nader Hashemi: Some fascinating Iranian intellectuals are laying the groundwork for democracy. What chance of success do they have?

V-Day in the Culture Wars

Ethan Porter: The culture wars are over, and we've won. We should learn to celebrate that--and move on to the next battle that demands our attention.

Against Despair

Michael Tomasky: How our misreading of history harms progressivism today.

DMV Liberalism

Joe Klein: Good governance--starting with transparency and citizen access--is the predicate for everything else.

What Happened to Women?

Katha Pollitt: Instead of moving to the center, liberalism should try embracing people who are actually liberals—starting with women.

Obama and Civic Idealism

Michael Sandel: Obama can still redefine liberalism, but he must bring economic power to heel.

Radical Sheet

Elbert Ventura: What the short, rumbustious history of Ramparts magazine means for modern journalism.

Wilson, Past and Present

Trygve Throntveit: The neoconservatives turned Woodrow Wilson into something he was not. In truth, Obama is more like him than Bush ever was.

Obama Proposes Consumer Financial Protection Agency

News: President Barack Obama has proposed the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, an idea first written about in Democracy.

That Old College Lie

Kevin Carey: Are our colleges teaching students well? No. But here's how to make them.