The State of Politics: Where Do We Go Now?
A Commonsense View
The State of Politics: Where Do We Go Now?
— A Commonsense View —
Gracie Abrams’ January 2023 single may not be a protest song, but “Where Do We Go Now?” captures the ache of a relationship that’s lost its meaning. It’s a fitting mood for our politics—an era defined by betrayal, disappointment, and emotional distance. Like any faltering relationship, the American public is asking hard questions of the two parties that once promised progress but now deliver little more than theatrical performance. Where do we go now? That’s the right question. And more voters than ever are beginning to answer it on their own terms.
You look hopeful
Like we're supposed to work somehow
Can't you tell our light burned out?
Got a lot to cry about
There's nothin' left here
All our best years are behind
What a brutal way to die
But you choose it every timeSo where do we go now?
Where do we go now?
A Breakup Decades in the Making
Let’s begin with the Democrats. Over the past couple of months, the DNC’s internal rift exploded into public view as David Hogg—once seen as a promising young voice for reform—clashed with a party establishment still unwilling to confront the generational and structural failures that keep it tethered to donor-class moderation and elite comfort. Hogg’s critique wasn’t simply about guns, climate, or corruption. It was about the party’s inability to act as if it hears the people it claims to serve. Liberalism, as many have noted, can no longer be counted on to reform itself.
Meanwhile, the GOP continues its slow, bitter transformation into a reactionary brand unfit for governance in a pluralistic nation. As Donald Trump seeks to bulldoze anything blocking his agenda, his coalition has become more insular and punitive. The more they elevate figures like Stephen Miller—the face of mass deportation rhetoric and authoritarian aspiration—the more evident it becomes that Trump’s MAGA movement is a political dead end for any vision of national unity. A government that governs only for grievance cannot endure.
The Two-Party Faceplant
Several articles from The Liberal Patriot have chronicled this decline. A recent piece simply titled “The Two-Party Faceplant” puts it bluntly: both parties are failing. Neither one can manage the economic contradictions of our time, the breakdown in trust between citizens and institutions, or the urgency of global realignment. The political class dances around the fire. Meanwhile, young voters, independents, and centrists in both parties are asking: Is there anyone left who actually speaks for us?
John Halpin's “The 80 Percent Party” essay struck a nerve for a reason. It's not a formal political movement—yet—but it reflects a widespread intuition that a political realignment is possible. Something broader. Something saner. Something commonsense.
Others have responded with pragmatic realism. One Substack post titled “So You Want to Start a New Political Party That 'Actually Represents the 80%'? Good Luck.” lays out the many institutional hurdles. It’s not wrong. But neither was Thomas Paine, who wrote Common Sense under far worse odds.
The Ideological Collapse—and a Path Forward
In response to this crisis, I’ve offered a longform series of essays under the subheading: Modern Political Ideology. The series includes eight essays (linked below) that outline a path away from neoliberal stagnation and corporate techno-feudalism, and toward a system rooted in civic republicanism, economic dignity, and decentralized democratic renewal:
The Downfall of Neoliberalism: It Worked (Part 1) — Tracing the global rise of market liberalization.
The Downfall of Neoliberalism: Side Effects (Part 2) — Explaining the costs: inequality, dislocation, and civic decay.
Corporate Techno-Feudalism (Part 3) — Introducing the new structure of economic and political control.
The Eruption of Techno-Feudalism (Part 4) — How artificial intelligence is upending the white-collar economy.
The Political Patronage of Corporate Techno-Feudalism (Part 5) — Examining Big Tech’s alliance with the two major parties.
The People’s Republic: A Counter-Ideology for Human Flourishing (Part 6) — A call for an American counter-ideology rooted in civic virtue, economic dignity, and decentralized democratic renewal.
Questions for Reimagining a Free People in the 21st Century (Part 7) — Asking the big questions about power, economic structure, regulatory frameworks, public goods, morality, and human flourishing.
The Republic Reimagined (Part 8) — Making the case for democratic renewal and offering clues to evaluate progress.
Each essay is part of a larger argument: that politics must be reinvented—not just by running new candidates, but by renewing the meaning of citizenship, rewriting the rules of the economy, and retaking the institutions we’ve ceded to corporate patronage and technocratic inertia.
The Reform Wave That’s Already Underway
Some of this rethinking is already showing up at the grassroots level. In 2024, multiple states saw ballot initiatives for voting reform, open primaries, and independent commissions for redistricting. While many initiatives did not pass, the pattern is clear: a growing, active group of people want more voice, more choice, and less party manipulation. The appetite for democratic renewal is growing—even if the major parties refuse to serve it.
A project for the 2026 midterms is taking aim at the slim party majorities that exist in the U.S. House of Representatives. If a national effort hopes to recalibrate the partisan power grabs of our political moment, the development of a fulcrum caucus in the House would be an epic signal and mighty achievement. The Independent National Coalition is taking shape and preparing to mount a charge. If you want to play a part, sign up!
And then there’s the issue of economic trust. “Moody’s, the Dollar, and the Crisis of the American Social Settlement” downplays the fragility of our fiscal position, but highlights the concern that America may suffer decline with this level of inequality and resource misallocation. In a real sense, economic reform is democratic reform.
Spotlighting the New Writers & Organizations
Alongside the established voices, a new generation of writers, organizers, and political thinkers is rising. Their names may not yet trend on cable news, but they are shaping the ideas that will define post-2025 politics. A few to follow:
Matt Stoller, tracking monopoly power and economic reform.
Akhil Puri, a global thinker about the Metacrisis and its political ramifications.
Frank DiStefano, a savvy expert on American political realignments.
Lura Forcum, bringing thoughtful, data-driven insights on voter psychology.
Independent Center, real people looking for common-sense solutions.
The Split Ticket, grappling with the fundamental questions defining this era of political transformation.
We need more thinkers like them—and more places where civic intelligence can flourish.
What Comes Next?
Common Sense 250 is now stepping into this breach. The social welfare organization is working on the blueprint of a Citizens’ Congress to guide independent reform proposals for legislative bodies. An education platform is in the works to support a growing civic movement centered on the Pursuit of Happiness. With sufficient growth, the organization hopes to fund paid citizens’ assemblies to validate the proposals that deserve thoughtful consideration from elected representatives. What’s emerging is not just an organization but a shared philosophy of political life—one that centers on the citizen, not the corporation. One that treats government as a tool for public purpose, not private gain. One that believes the future of representative democracy depends on common sense, civic imagination, and structural change.
As for The Common Sense Papers, the coming year brings a celebration of America 250. After posing fifty-two thoughtful questions in Part 7 of the Modern Political Ideology series, I think the coming year offers a chance for reflection on how to answer, or shape the debates, that need to address some of the biggest questions of our time. You can expect one essay per week on challenging topics. Please weigh in!
Conclusion: The State of Politics
So, where do we go now? Maybe not to a perfect solution. But we go forward. Toward honesty. Toward humility. Toward citizens’ assemblies, competitive elections, public renewal, and economic dignity in a changing digital world. We go toward rebuilding trust—not just between people and our system of government, but between people and private institutions of power that need to serve the common good.
The breakup with our political past is real. But the future is still up for grabs. The quest for a better system of human flourishing in on the line!
The Common Sense Papers are an offering by Common Sense 250.
Vision: We aspire to transform U.S. politics through innovation and principled leadership.
Mission: We champion independent political reforms that improve the common good through the voice of the people for each generation. We support deliberative democracy and the use of citizens' assemblies to inform legislative decisions.
Purpose: To act and operate as a social welfare organization in improving the effectiveness of government, providing tools for a healthy democracy, and promoting social welfare by debating needed reforms for a civil society.
Guiding Principle: Centered on Citizens in Pursuit of Happiness