The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode: What Can Progressive Voters Do to Help Fix Our Broken Political System?
Date: November 27, 2019
Host: Dorothy Wickenden
Guest: Daniel Squadron, co-founder and executive director of Future Now

Overview

This episode examines the growing importance of state-level political engagement for progressive voters. Host Dorothy Wickenden (Executive Editor, The New Yorker) interviews Daniel Squadron (co-founder, Future Now) about how investing in state legislatures can yield significant progressive gains, the origin and impact of political giving circles, and what ordinary voters can do to effect meaningful change at a time of national dysfunction. The conversation links recent state election victories, the historical roots of political movements, and the strategic imperative for progressives to focus locally as much as—if not more than—nationally.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Virginia and the Changing State Political Landscape

• Virginia’s Flip to Democrat: For the first time in two decades, Democrats gained control of both chambers of the Virginia state legislature, fueling hopes for a “more progressive agenda” in the South ([01:48]).
  • Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared:

    "I’m here to officially declare today ... that Virginia is officially blue." ([01:27])

• Other Notable State Races: North Carolina, Michigan, and Mississippi all saw significant Democratic advances, some by razor-thin margins, signaling broader shifts.

2. Why State Politics Matter

• Enormous Local Power: State governments control policy in areas like abortion, gun safety, and minimum wage, with real impact on citizens’ everyday lives ([02:40]).
• Republican Strategy: For decades, Republicans have prioritized state races, as shown recently in states like Georgia and Kentucky.

3. The Future Now Fund & Model of Engagement

• Origins in the Wake of Trump’s Election: Squadron recounts being approached by ordinary citizens ready to fund state-level change—unlike before, national shock spurred new grassroots engagement ([06:06]).
  • Notably, a group of young adult novelists formed the first giving circle:

    "Regular people were willing to take their networks and their time and think about state legislatures." ([07:05])

• Giving Circles: Small collectives (mostly women) pool resources and networks to meaningfully impact specific state elections ([08:11]).
  • "Giving circles actually have a material impact on the outcome in these states. ... State legislative elections, on average, cost 1/10 or less what competitive congressional elections cost." (Squadron, [09:05])
• Concrete Impact: In Maine, $100,000 helped flip the state senate, resulting in major progressive legislative victories ([09:05]).

4. Lessons from Recent Political History

• 2010 and the Tea Party: Republicans’ focus on state legislatures enabled gerrymandering and entrenched House majorities, laying groundwork for Trump’s eventual rise ([12:05]).
  • Squadron connects it to earlier conservative organization, referencing the 1971 Powell Memo and the birth of organizations like ALEC ([12:22]).
  • "Donald Trump didn’t descend that golden escalator and build a movement from scratch. He was riding a movement that had been developing in state legislatures for years." (Squadron, [13:52])

5. Model Legislation and Transparency

• ALEC vs. Progressive Model: ALEC’s (American Legislative Exchange Council) secret, corporate-driven template bills are contrasted with Future Now’s transparent policy advocacy ([15:16]).
  • "ALEC has given the idea of model legislation or sharing ideas across states a bad name because it's done it in bad faith. ... In a transparent way, saying to lawmakers: here’s a set of values ... and if you do, we’ll help you achieve them—I think is a positive thing." (Squadron, [15:16])

6. Supporting Candidates and Setting Values

• Values-Driven Support: Future Now only backs candidates who commit to "America's Goals," including fair jobs, universal healthcare, and clean energy ([17:09]).
  • Squadron notes the power of collective, governing majorities over individual charisma.
  • "Governing majorities are so important. Even if there’s someone you don’t agree with fully ... they are the vote that changes who the leadership is, that changes what other bills come up." ([18:08])

7. Where Progressive Resources Matter Most

• National vs. Local: Squadron argues state races are often overlooked and far more cost-effective for impactful change ([19:38]).
  • “The candidates are raising each quarter about enough to fully fund every competitive state legislative election in America. ... Folks should ... not think about the [presidential] primary for one second beyond that." ([19:38])
  • People "can have so much more influence in government and politics than they ever thought by working at the state legislative level." ([18:08])

8. Potential for Reform and Renewal

• A New Progressive Era?: Referencing Lee Drutman’s NYT op-ed, the episode asks if we’re entering an age of reform grounded in grassroots movements.
  • Squadron:

    "If you want people to believe in the idea of government as a positive force … you can wait for 60 votes in the U.S. senate … or you can start impacting lives millions at a time in state capitals and change the direction of the country." ([21:35])

  • "That’s what the radical right did starting in the 1970s. That’s what we have to do now." ([21:56])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Turning States Blue:
  "Do you like the color blue? Because I’m here to officially declare ... that Virginia is officially blue."
  — Governor Ralph Northam ([01:27])

• On the impact of giving circles:
  "With just over $100,000, became one of the most significant funders of an effort that flipped the [Maine] Senate. ... All of these things are going to be felt in people’s lives in Maine."
  — Daniel Squadron ([09:05])

• On learning from the right:
  "Donald Trump didn’t descend that golden escalator and build a movement from scratch. He was riding a movement that had been developing in state legislatures for years."
  — Daniel Squadron ([13:52])

• On the priority of state over national races:
  "People are not as helpless in the crisis as sometimes they fear, but people have to take on a little more responsibility for getting past the tweet that’s trending ... to figure out where they can have the impact."
  — Daniel Squadron ([20:23])

• On optimism and renewal:
  "Will that renewal start in the Oval Office and emanate outwards, or will it start in 50 state capitals and emanate upwards?"
  — Daniel Squadron ([21:35])

Key Timestamps

• 01:27 – Virginia flips to Democratic control; significance in the South.
• 04:13 – 06:06 – How Future Now got started post-2016 and the first giving circle formed.
• 08:11 – Explanation of giving circles and their outsized impact.
• 12:05 – Historical perspective on 2010, Tea Party, and Republican strategy.
• 15:16 – ALEC, transparency, and Future Now’s approach to legislative models.
• 17:09 – How Future Now decides which candidates to support.
• 19:38 – Comparing resources spent on presidential vs. state-level races.
• 21:35 – Is reform possible from the bottom-up?
• 22:17 – Closing thanks.

Conclusion

This episode offers a compelling argument that progressive, citizen-led engagement at the state level is essential not just for fixing the broken political system, but for building long-term, meaningful change in American politics. By leveraging small-scale collective activism (giving circles), focusing on local races, and learning from the right’s decades-long strategy, progressives can make a disproportionate impact—often with fewer resources than national campaigns require. Future Now’s work stands as a model for how ordinary citizens can reclaim their political power, one statehouse at a time.