Report

America: A Center-Left Nation

Isaiah J. Poole — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:35:42 -0700

» Read the full report
» Blog: "Center-Left America"

Audio: Robert Borosage explains the report's findings..

Then-Sen. Barack Obama promised change during his White House campaign, and he ran on a distinctly progressive platform. Clean energy, affordable college, comprehensive health care reform. Obama’s victory capped off several years’ of sweeping Democratic electoral wins, each more progressive than the last.

But conventional wisdom still calls America a “center-right” nation. Immediately after the election, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham insisted that to govern successfully, Obama had to become a center-right leader in order to match America’s “instinctively conservative” streak.

Conventional wisdom is wrong.

America is more progressive than many people think. Public opinion shows the popularity of progressive policies. Demographics show the rise of progressive demographic groups. The new report we are publishing with Media Matters for America documents the trends and challenges the mainstream media to recognize reality.

Public opinion

Our report examines public opinion on a range of issues, from the role of government to universal health care.

Health care: "In general, would you favor or oppose a program that would increase the federal government's influence over the country's health care system in an attempt to lower costs and provide health care coverage to more Americans?"— CNN/Opinion Research Corporation, Feb. 18-19, 2009

Favor	72 percent
Oppose	27 percent

Energy: Would you prefer the government to increase, decrease, or not change the financial support and incentives it gives for producing energy from alternative sources such as wind and solar? —Gallup, March 5-8, 2009.

Increase	77 percent
Decrease	8 percent

Stimulus: “Which do you think is more effective in stimulating the nation's economy and creating jobs: An economic agenda focused on returning money to taxpayers through tax cuts, or an economic agenda focused on spending for improvements to the country's infrastructure such as roads, bridges and schools?” Los Angeles Times, December 6-8, 2008[i]

Infrastructure	54 percent
Tax Cuts	33 percent

Demographics

We examine population demographics, which are also pointing left. The bedrock voters of the conservative movement are growing older and declining in number. America is becoming an increasingly diverse, younger and more metropolitan.

Younger voters: People under 30 chose Obama for President by a full 34 point margin over McCain (66 percent to 32 percent). Even more impressive than the margin was the diversity. Obama scored a 91 point margin among young African Americans (95 percent to 4 percent), and a 57 point margin among young Hispanics (76 percent to 19 percent). He even won young whites by a 10 point margin (54 percent to 44 percent), a strong contrast to his 14 point deficit among whites aged 45 to 64 (42 to 56 percent).

Hispanic voters: Two-thirds (65 percent) of registered Hispanic voters identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. The gap is driven by the same issues that drive white voters — a general dissatisfaction with the state of the country, and their priority issues of education, health care and jobs. In the 2008 presidential election, Obama won Hispanics by 36 points (67 percent to 31 percent).

Unmarried Women: Women as a whole tend to lean Democratic, and Obama outscored McCain among women by 56 percent to 43 percent (compared to 49 percent to 48 percent among men). But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The most important hidden block is unmarried women, who chose Obama by a stunning 41 point margin (70 percent to 29 percent). Unmarried women are growing in number, and registering to vote in record numbers.

What it means

The wind is at our backs. It’s safe to push. It’s important that we do. We need to channel the energy of our center-left nation, and achieve the promise, not the compromise. The crisis is great, bold action is needed, and the people are hungry for progressive change.

The Change Election Awaiting Change

Robert Borosage — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:22:40 -0800

A survey of 2,000 voters taken during and immediately after the November 4, 2008, general election shows that Sen. Barack Obama’s historic victory in the presidential race spearheaded a sea-change election. It marks the end of the conservative era that has dominated our politics since 1980 and the beginning of a new era of progressive reform, driven by an emerging progressive majority.

RELATED RESOURCES

In responses to a broad range of questions, the repudiation of President George W. Bush, the Republican Congress and the conservatism they championed is clear.

The survey also reveals the consolidation of a new majority coalition and the mandate for progressive reform that Obama and congressional Democrats have. Republicans emerge from this election as an aging, monochromatic, largely regional party, increasingly in the grip of its evangelical base. Democrats are consolidating a governing majority in what is, increasingly, a center-left nation.

Read full report >>

KEY FINDINGS

From the Democracy Corps/Campaign for America's Future poll:

The top reasons polled voters supported Barack Obama: Would withdraw troops from Iraq (35 percent), would be for the middle class (32 percent) and has a plan for affordable health care for all (29 percent)
The top issues that voters think Obama should focus on: Reducing unemployment and getting the economy moving (62 percent), investing in alternative energy and getting us off foreign oil (44 percent), changing the health care system (21 percent)
Economic policies at or near the top voters want Obama to address: Repealing the Bush tax cuts for those earning more than $250,000 and cutting taxes for people making less (60 percent), making job-creating investments in infrastructure (60 percent), raise the minimum wage (54 percent), enacting a three-month moratorium on all foreclosures (51 percent), repealing tax breaks that benefit companies that export jobs overseas (50 percent)
Voters agree that: The middle class is more threatened by global trade and greedy CEOs than by loo-lenient immigration and affirmative action policies (60 percent), they are more worried about giving additional tax breaks to the rich and corporations than about going too far (61 percent), we need to reform public schools and invest properly in them rather than give parents private-school vouchers (68 percent).
But voters are split on investment vs. spending: 49 percent fear going too far in increasing government spending; 48 percent worry that the country won't make the investments needed to strengthen the economy.

The results are based on a poll of 2,000 voters conducted November 4 and 5, 2008.

Congressional Elections Deliver A Progressive Mandate

Bernie Horn — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:58:12 -0800

In hotly contested 2008 congressional races, Democratic winners were—overwhelmingly—real progressives who campaigned and won on progressive platforms. Voters didn’t just elect Democrats, they elected progressive

The election of many new progressive Democrats to the House and Senate represents a clear mandate for progressive change. In 2006, some commentators cited the victory of Heath Shuler, D-N.C., to argue that Democrats won because they campaigned as moderates or conservatives, not progressives. That argument cannot be made in 2008.

For this report, the Campaign for America’s Future researched the issue positions of U.S. House and Senate candidates in competitive races. Needless to say, the economy was the overwhelming issue in the minds of voters. In order to compare candidates across the nation, CAF selected six major economic issues that distinguish progressives from conservatives and moderates:

quality, affordable health care for all,

the Employee Free Choice Act,

progressive tax legislation similar to Obama’s (tax increase for the rich, cuts for the rest);

a trade position that opposes NAFTA-style trade agreements,

opposition to Social Security privatization; and

a focus on developing clean energy sources over “drill, baby, drill.”

This report analyzes elections where Democrats won Republican seats in the U.S. House and Senate. The study focuses on those seats because they demonstrate the strong ideological shift from the outgoing 110th to the incoming 111th Congress.

Related Resources

House of Representatives Voting Records On Key Progressive Legislation

To determine the ideology of Democratic and Republican candidates who are not currently members of Congress, CAF examined campaign web pages, newspaper articles, published interviews, television and radio commercials posted on the Internet, and endorsements from allied labor, health and trade organizations. Where candidates were incumbent members of Congress, CAF also researched floor votes on the issues. In this analysis, an incoming member of Congress who favors the progressive position on at least five of these six issues is considered to be a solid progressive.

The Stress Test

Terrance Heath — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:38:49 -0700

The headlines scream bad news about the economy: Prices are high and rising; wages are not keeping up. Homes foreclose at a record pace. Gas prices are at record highs. While economists and politicians debate whether or not we’re technically in a recession, most Americans feel we’ve been in a recession for years. People know in their guts that something is wrong.

To show how the economy affects working families, The Campaign for America’s Future has designed an economic stress test. Assessing the condition of jobs, housing, health care, and household costs on a state-by-state basis over time, the CAF stress test illustrates the troubles families face and shows the way to solutions.

"The Stress Test" shows trouble across the board. It shows flat wages and rising costs. It shows more people without health insurance and the neglect of such established public responsibilities as state support for college education. It demonstrates overall economic mismanagement and it quantifies the general level of stress in this historically optimistic country.

Read the full report (PDF) | State stress test statistics

What "The Stress Test" Measures

Jobs

Unemployment rates and changes in unemployment rates (March 2000-March 2008)
Changes in the number of goods-producing and service-providing jobs (March 2000-March 2008)
Changes in available construction jobs (March 2000-2008)
Changes in available manufacturing jobs (March 2000-2008)
Changes in average weekly wage (Q3 2001-Q3 2007)

Costs and quality of life

People without health insurance, per 1,000 residents; rate and change over time; overall and employer-based (2000-2006)
Population spending 25 percent of pre-tax income on health care; rate and change (2000-2008)
Public college tuition as a percentage of income; rate and change over time (2000-2001 – 2006-2007)
Bankruptcy, per capita; rate and change over time (2006-2007)
Foreclosures, per capita (2007)
Average price of gas, change over time(January 2000-February 2008)

The Solutions

To relieve this economic stress, this report shows, we need a new economic strategy. We need to stop using tax dollars to bail out Wall Street bankers and start using public money to benefit the struggling middle class. This means the creation of new, good jobs here at home and a strategy for retaining knowledge and technology in America. We need to expand public investment in infrastructure as well as human capital in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all Americans. This includes investment in roads, bridges, education and health care. These reforms are the foundation for a new economy in which all Americans benefit.

The elements of the new direction include:

New Energy for America
We should launch a concerted drive for energy independence, and put people to work building a green economy.

A National Strategy in the Global Economy
We need a clear strategy for our nation in the global economy. The first step out of the hole we are in is to stop digging. No more NAFTAs, no more trade accords written by and for multinational corporations and banks.

Invest in People and Basics that Work
We need to ensure our children have access to the best education in the world: universal pre-kindergarten, smaller classes in earlier grades, challenging after-school programs, and affordable college or advanced training. Invest in repairing roads and bridges, sewage systems and school buildings, ensuring that the jobs created are good jobs.

Health Care for All
We need to revive the American Dream and help working families with the basics. We should start with health care reform, providing for all a guaranteed choice of health care, just as members of Congress have. Provide every business and individual with the option of either keeping their current private plan, if they like it, or the ability to buy into a high-quality public plan.

Sharing Prosperity
We need to correct the imbalance between the top floor and the shop floor to ensure that profits and productivity are widely shared. Raise the floor – increase the minimum wage, guarantee workers paid sick days and family leave. Empower workers to organize, pass the Employee Free Choice Act, turn the National Labor Relations Board back into a watchdog for workers. Pass comprehensive immigration reform, gain control of our borders and enforce fair labor standards so employers can’t exploit undocumented workers.

Americans have a right to know how we can build a sustainable economy. Presidential candidates need to address the issues that are relevant to working Americans, refocusing national attention from the wants of Wall Street to the needs of Main Street. We can begin to relieve Americans’ economic stress by challenging candidates and elected officials to support and promote real solutions to real economic problems.

Stress Test State Reports

See the level of economic stress in your state.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky

Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota

Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

The Decline of Conservatism

OurFuture.org Staff — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:39:11 -0700

Progressives Rising

Robert Borosage — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:52:36 -0700

The 2008 election has the potential to be not simply one of change, as conventional wisdom suggests, but of sea-change, one that marks the end of the conservative era that has dominated our politics over the past three decades and the beginning of a new era of progressive reform. This report details the signs of the emergence of that era, and cautions that progressives will not only have to continue to drive the debate in the election season, but will also have to define, expand and claim the mandate after the election.

The Progressive Majority

tjackson — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:08:04 -0800

For anyone interested in where the American public really stands on the big issues that distinguish progressives from conservatives – including the issues at the forefront of today’s political debates – “The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America Is a Myth” offers hard facts and analysis based on decades of data from some of the nation’s most respected and nonpartisan public opinion researchers. This is the evidence that political leaders have a mandate to pursue bold, progressive policies.

This report by the Campaign for America’s Future and Media Matters for America shows that in study after study, solid majorities of Americans take progressive stands on a full spectrum of issues, from bread-and-butter economics to the so-called “values” issues where conservatives claim preeminence.

Read the Full Report

(Adobe PDF)

Blog Commentary

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

On Health Care: 69 percent of Americans think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have access to health coverage; 76 percent find access to health care more important than maintaining the Bush tax cuts; three in five would be willing to have their own taxes increased to achieve universal coverage.

On Energy Policy: 52 percent of Americans believe "the best way for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on foreign oil" is to "have the government invest in alternative energy sources"; 64 percent are willing to pay a higher energy tax to pay for renewable energy research; 68 percent of the public thinks U.S. energy policy is better solved by conservation than production.

On the Economy: 77 percent of Americans believe Congress should increase the minimum wage; 66 percent believe "upper-income people" pay too little in taxes; 53 percent feel the Bush administration's tax cuts have failed because they have increased the deficit and caused cuts in government programs.

On Government's Role: 69 percent of Americans believe the government "should care for those who can't care for themselves." Twice as many people (43 percent to 20 percent) want "government to provide many more services even if it means an increase in spending" as want government to provide fewer services "in order to reduce spending."

On Immigration: 62 percent of Americans believe undocumented immigrants should be given a chance to "keep their jobs and eventually apply for legal status." 49 percent believe the best way to reduce illegal immigration from Mexico is to penalize employers, not more border control.