How Can Democrats Regain Trust? A Review of Dan Wang's Breakneck
A central question the Democratic Party faces is how do they regain trust from the public? Very few people trust the Democratic party. This post is about why that is and what can be done about it.
"What the United States has lost sight of is that the public might prefer a government that does something rather than one that's so exquisite about process." That's Dan Wang in his new book Breakneck which I just finished. It's as good as the hype. Fairly rated as Tyler Cowen might say. I think this partially explains why some Americans in 2024 were more willing to look to the Republicans for solutions rather than the Democrats. They see the Republicans, and Trump specifically, with at least the ability to do things whether they be good or bad. They see the Democrats as rule-followers who love to cross their t's and dot their i's. But the rules are broken. So they vote for someone who can break the rules, not for someone who can follow them.
I think this also explains some of the hype around Elon Musk in our attention economy. Tesla and SpaceX are proof of getting shit done. When you open your social media app of choice and you see a rocket getting launched into space it is undeniable that a mission has been accomplished. Whether or not you agree with Elon's politics, it is self-evident that he can get things done. They may not be the right things but that is what Wang alludes to. Something rather than nothing. Different rather than good.
Dan Wang charts a path out of the dreariness people feel about American politics by looking to China.
I don't know if the Democrats learned this, but at least I learned from the outcome of the 2024 election that it is not enough to just be against someone, but that it's equally important to be truly for something as well. Something clear and authentic.
While I don't like to speculate about what will happen I do want to provide a theory for one route forward.
Democrats can regain trust from the American public through building public works that meaningfully affect people's everyday lives on time.
This is no small feat to do with significant regulatory hurdles at the federal, state, and municipal levels. But this is a proven path to people regaining pride in their country.
If Democrats can build something physical for its constituents, hope will emerge. In an attention economy focused on the audio-visual, Elon's SpaceX thrives. Why? There are launch videos where people can see "look he did the thing" and you clearly tell he got the job done. Whether or not you agree with Elon's politics, you cannot disagree that he can build things and make things happen. That is what people are yearning for in the United States. Someone to change the paradigm.
Why Has Trust Declined?
- Lack of understanding of the government
- Kludgeocracy
- Let down over and over
The way out is through: building monumental public works projects will reinvigorate people's trust in government. It is no coincidence that public trust was at its peak when the government was doing the Interstate Highway Act, building grand infrastructure. Is this true?