The Democratic Party: a parliamentary party

[Editor's note: this is part one in a series of posts re-imagining the United States as a parliamentary government. To see the introduction piece to get a better idea of what this is and why I'm writing it click here. Everything included in this post is fictional, including quotes, motives, policies, and strategies. However, I've done my best to imagine what could be based on the players involved and the circumstances provided.]

Where do we stand:

Following parliamentary realignment, the Democratic party saw siginificant defections on both flanks of the party. However, they were able to maintain a the highest number of seats in both the House and Senate. And with the election of their candidate Joe Biden for president, the party is assured the first chance at forming the first parliamentary government in American history, presumably with Nancy Pelosi at the helm.

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"The Democratic Party is the party of the middle class. We've always been that way, and we are going to continue to fight for working people in this country."

-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

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Seats in the House: 156

Seats in the Senate: 37

Policy

The Democratic Party enters the parliamentary era with much the same policy positions as they left the presidential era: moderate to liberal fiscal policy and progressive, identity based social policy. The party makes a bet that greater spending is needed to not only jump start the corona-racked economy but also to maintain a voter base which now has more progressive options.

Grounded in identity issues:

Civil rights and equality remain at the forefront of Democratic Party policy. The strength of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and a desire to retain Black and Hispanic voters drives the party to further ground policy decisions on how they affect equality and systemic racism.
'Women's' issues: funding of planed parenthood, access to reproductive care, eliminating the wage gap, and expanding access to inexpensive or free menstrual products become bigger policy goals.
Against slogans like "Defund the police" but desiring to make some meaningful policing reform. This may cause drama between the left wing parties should they form a coalition.
Expanded focus on ending discrimination of LGBTQ+ people.

Economically mixed policy:

The Democratic Party desires to maintain a business focus, hoping they can continue to push of corporate America against their traditional home in the Republican Party.
Concerns about government debt are still bandied about in the caucus but the majority is on the side of spending more on the bet that it will provide for positive electoral outcomes.
The party proposes higher taxes on businesses but conspicuously backs off from some previous statements about increasing taxes on the rich. The party still proposes a 1% tax, going after the furthest excesses of income inequality.

A traditionalist foreign policy:

Comfortable the great power conflict model, the party views both Russia and China as its primary threats, pivoting away from the 'war on terror' model of the last twenty years.
Strong support of international organizations like NATO and trade agreements like NAFTA.
In a pivot from established Middle Eastern policy, the party accepts some level of distance from Saudi Arabia in an attempt to rescue the gutted JCPOA with Iran.
This comes as the party attempts to reintegrate itself with Israeli interests. This balance may prove to be difficult, but the party views a stronger pro-Israel stance is necessary to differentiate itself from the other members of the left-wing bloc.

Steady green projectory on the environment:

Emphasis on maintaining American natural wildlife and an expansion on national parks.
A stoppage on the creation of new oil and gas lines across the US but maintenance of already established pipelines.
A pivot towards nuclear as a means of reducing green house gas emissions.
A desire to transform the energy economy into something more sustainable but a weariness to do so at the cost of American energy independence.

Big tech:

Significantly less action towards big tech as the party waits to see where big tech trends politically in the new system and as many of the most ardent reforms leave to join other parties.
Still some desire to break up the big tech and calls for monopoly reform particularly from Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), but the majority of the party is less enthused.

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the important players

Obviously the most important member of the party remains freshly elected President Joe Biden. Even though his position is far reduced in actual political power, his ability to shape discourse and propose ideas to his party remain important. Particularly as Americans maintain a hangover from the presidential system. Furthermore, Joe Biden will still decide which party gets the first crack at forming the new government and he will almost assuredly give that honor to house leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) who stands to become America's first Prime Minister.

In the Senate, Majority leader Chuck Schumer (NY) holds the highest seat but, with no Vice Presidential position anymore, Kamala Harris (CA) supersedes Dick Durban as Majority whip. Outside of President Biden, perhaps no other politician is more greatly affected by the parliamentary realignment as Harris who goes from successful VP candidate back to the Senate as her hard fought position in the executive is removed. Senator Patty Murray from Washington retains the Assistant leadership position to assist Harris in her knew leadership role. The old man of the Senate, Patrick Leahy, acts as president Pro Tempore

Across Capitol hill in the House, now the true chamber of power, Nancy Pelosi faces less pressure to abdicate her leadership role as many moderate and progressive members have left for greener pastures. That leaves her as the de jure leader of the party with Steny Hoyer (MD) her backup and James Clyburn (SC) as majority whip.

Outside of leadership, a number of important Democrats remain in the party. In the house, exciting up and comers like Hakeem Jefferies (NY), Parmila Jayapal (WA), Jamie Raskin (MD), Ro Khanna (CA), and Eric Swalwell (CA) join well established members like Adam Schiff (CA), Ted Lieu (CA), Jerry Nadler (NY), Carolyn Maloney (NY), and Nydia Velaquez (NY).

In the Senate, outside of leadership important members include Dianne Feinstein (CA), Chris Murphy (CT), Tammy Duckworth (IL), Tim Kaine (VA), Mazie Hirono (HI), Michael Bennet (CO), John Hickenlooper (CO), Jon Ossoff (GA), Raphael Warnock (GA) Mark Kelly (AZ), and Cory Booker (NJ).

Developments to the coalition

The most interesting development for the Democratic party was not the loss of moderates or progressive to new and more fitting parties but the near potential split from a more fundamental part of the party. The Congressional Black Caucus flexed its muscles and showed the important of its members and Black voters to the Democratic party by flirting with the idea of taking its members to a new and separate party.

Working through the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and the hesitancy of CBC senate members Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, the party was able to come to an agreement keeping the CBC inside the Democratic Party but with greater deference placed on the will and desires of the CBC. Furthermore, CBC Chair Joyce Beatty (OH) negotiates a power sharing agreement wherein Nancy Pelosi will step down after two years so that an elected member of the CBC takes the reigns on the party. With Pelosi in the lead position to be Prime Minister this sets up an interesting future development that could have major ramifications for the country. The CBC will be covered more thoroughly in a future post as their size and importance within the party requires.

Elsewhere in the Democratic Party, the local division of the party in Minnesota led by Angie Craig option to use their official local name on the national level. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, having seen some success in keeping rural voters in the party coalition, is given permission to label themselves under that banner and the party sets about using the DFL model in other rural (and midwestern) states to win back reluctant voters. The DFL officially has three members in the house: Craig, Dean Phillips, and Betty McCollum. As well as both MN senators: Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.

Of course the most important development for the party is the immediate loss of 62 House members and 11 senators to outside parties. While this may also provide opportunities to build a strong governing coalition (old friends and allies working together across new divisions) it also has the party looking at its nationwide electoral strategy. How should the party proceed is a matter of serious issue and could determine the future strength of America's oldest living party.

Coming up

Next week I'll be continuing this series with a look at the Republican Party.

Riven by Trump related strife, the Grand Old Party looks at a reshaped membership and sees opportunities and pitfalls to their current minoritarian strategy. Can the party survive now that the electoral system no longer benefits them exclusively? How does Trump factor into the future of the party? Who stands to benefit from the splintering of the right-wing?