These recommendations also draw on my work on parties, which argues that 1) parties are inherently factional - that's what makes them work, not what makes them weak; 2) parties can be revitalized through local engagement, and 3) parties will be crucial to building a new democratic future.

Third, embrace and build visible factions that go beyond the two-party system. Label them, make them visible, and then show how they can come together on common grounds to support pro-democracy candidates. Show that the opposition is broad and diverse.

Second, embrace short-term, highly strategic coalitions (locally and nationally) that drop the litmus tests typically required in the pursuit of policy goals. Details here from France, Brazil, and Poland.

First, normalize political talk as non-partisan: most of the problems with this administration transcend typical party issues. (Yes, this means not talking universally about what "The Democrats" should do, and instead building up a common cross-party, cross-sectoral language - more on that later)

Hooray Charlotte! Congratulations !!!! 🎉

@jlynch13.bsky.social 👋 👋 also - @askellyphd.bsky.social
and I were just singing your praises on a podcast last week!! Will send to you when it's up!

Some of the book's conclusions already seem, well, overtaken by events 🤷‍♀️ But I'm grateful to be part of the conversation about how we got here, where we're going, and what it might take to build stronger democracies.

The Great Retreat provides a defense of political parties, explores how they've weakened in the neoliberal era, and argues that parties are critically important to the relationship of democracy and capitalism.