The Liberal Shift 1

Running Head: THE LIBERAL SHIFT IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

The Liberal Shift in the Democratic Party

Nicholas T. Elflein

Glen Allen High School

 The Liberal Shift 2

Introduction:

Politics in America have played in integral role in the daily lives of thousands of people

who are interested in how their government work. Throughout history, people have argued for

their political side, which is usually split between conservatism and liberalism. And depending

on the current events, the shift of support on what side gains the most support changes. In the

contemporary times, as the election of 2020 looms, this shift of support is heading towards the

left. Moreover, the up and coming generation - which includes millennials and generation z – are

statistically becoming more liberal, as support for the right is declining. Through the evidence of

current political trends, support, and the backing of presidential candidates, the exploration of

how left learning politicians, such as Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke, and Kamala Harris, are

affecting the democratic party and, in-turn, the election of 2020 can be seen in depth.

Illustrating the Shift:

In the early 2000s, democratic president Bill Clinton was leading the party through his

moderate views, which was a current trend in the democratic party started by President Carter,

following by President Clinton, and then continued by President Obama. This trend is also

reflected in Congress, where the senior leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives

are held by more moderate liberals in the older generation – examples including Nancy Pelosi

(house majority leader) and Chuck Schumer (senate minority leader) in current day. This

moderate-rule within the democratic party is reflected through the support of the ordinary person

in the party, which in the early 2000s, was 42% of the party that identified as moderate, while

only 32% identified as more liberal – and only 23% who were conservative-democratic (Saad,

Jones, Brenan). Through 2012, where President Obama had lead the party in the executive

branch, the shift was already present towards more liberal views, where those who identified as
 The Liberal Shift 3

liberal became 39%, and overtook those who were moderate at 38% (Saad, Jones, Brenan). As

President Obama finished his second term in 2016, the trend was still going upwards at a faster

rate of those who saw themselves as liberal. Finally, in 2018, when the data was taken, liberals

were sitting on a lead of 46% (which was higher than moderates lead in 2000), while moderates

sat in the middle at 35%, and conservative-democrats hit a new low of 17% (Saad, Jones,

Brenan). This is largely in due to President Trumps strong administration as the largely

conservative president, as well the shift in times where more liberal policies are needed to fix

some of America’s largest issues.

Looking into those who identify as liberal in 2018, the small majority of them are white,

college-educated, and between the ages of 18 to 49 – meaning the younger and more college

educated generation coming up is largely in support of liberal ideals (Saad, Jones, Brenan).

Overall, the democratic party is becoming more minority, more educated, and more female

dominated, as well as still reflecting the younger generations (Saad, Jones, Brenan). Nonetheless,

the democratic party is statistically changing rapidly as more and more younger college students

join and as America becomes more diverse, and the party seems to be taking a more liberal

stance, which may drastically change their platform in the coming years.

The New, Radical Ideals:

This liberal shift had to have come from somewhere, yet as a reflection of the current

state of the United States, the shift can be seen clearly. In large, the shift has come through the

support of five major ideas – healthcare, environment, education, gun control, and immigration,

each with their own importance and need to change in the coming years. Furthermore, President

Trump has taken a stance and made change in these five major areas which directly goes against

what liberals believe, which only continues to fuel their fire to get up and make change.
 The Liberal Shift 4

The issue of healthcare has been a recent topic of discussion that was started by President

Obama with the Affordable Care Act, which greatly increased healthcare for many Americans,

but the issue has spread to wanting universal healthcare. An expensive, yet crucial issue, the talk

for universal healthcare has dominated debates. The support for Americans who are in need,

mainly the lower and working class, has gained traction, with 56% of polled Americans claiming

they would support a government-backed universal healthcare system (Padden).

Scientist throughout the world have been advocated for change in terms of the

environment, as rising temperatures and human involvement has led to the destruction of many

habitats and animals, and threatened to harm humans soon. Liberal democrats have taken support

of this environmental change, which needs to happen soon. The major support comes through the

Paris Climate Deal, which President Trump receded from, as well as removing gas emissions

from automobiles in a long-term plan.

Education - which includes both primary school, secondary school, and post-secondary

school (college) – has been a topic of liberals in recent years. The biggest debates come through

providing free or reduced colleges for families making an income of $125,000 or less, which has

been supported by candidates such as Sanders, O’Rourke, and Harris (Beauchamp). Furthermore,

the support of a government-backed Pre-K program has increased, especially with Kamala Harris

garnering support. Whether or not these large plans can gain enough support or funding will be

seen in the aftermath of the 2020 election, but the American people seem to want change. As

well as providing free education, many are also advocating for better pay and benefits for

teachers, who are receiving low pay.

Since the devastating 1999 Columbine High School massacre, the talk of gun control has

dominated debates, and the call for the ban of assault rifles and other war-used guns has been an
 The Liberal Shift 5

outcry by many liberals. This trend has increased as more horrible acts have taken place, such as

the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting at an elementary school, and

the recent 2017 shooting at the Las Vegas strip in Nevada. As a major issue, this will likely be

one of the first to change if a liberal president takes office.

Immigration, an issue only recently taken main page by President Trump’s outcry for

limiting it as much as he can, has become a major issue in the upcoming 2020 election. Many

liberals are in support of allowing immigrants and “dreamers” into the nation, as many of these

same people become democratic, but the out lash by conservatives is likely to cause conflict.

Politicians Defining this Shift:

The election of 2020 is seemingly a historical one, as President Trump seeks reelection to

a second term to continue his conservative ideals, and the liberals stumble to find a true

candidate that will define their party and its changing platform. This can be seen through three

major players in the upcoming election, each with their own view on the liberal ideals mentioned

above – Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke, and Kamala Harris.

The runner-up from the election of 2016s democratic primary, Bernie Sanders is back to

try his chance at becoming president again. Sanders has been compared to Ronald Regan as an

outspoken, influential, and older candidate in their respective party that is seeking to change a lot

in the nation (Douthat). He has gained support through his socialist-backed plan to provide

healthcare for all, as well as free college for the lower and middle class, and increasing taxes for

the upper classes. Though he has gained a lot of support by liberals, his self-proclaimed socialist

platform may prove to be detrimental in a world that is less likely to support a model called that.
 The Liberal Shift 6

Beto O’Rourke has gained a lot of support recently by the younger crowd of those who

support the liberal ideals. He is a more moderate-liberal, although not considered a moderate due

to his plan to have universal healthcare, free college, and a plan to fix the environment that is

different than the popular New Green Deal.

Kamala Harris, a senator from California, is similar in Bernie Sanders ideals and seeks to

become the first female president of the United States. Backed by universal healthcare, free

college, universal pre-K, and a “politically solution” to the wars in the Middle East, Harris has

secretly gained support by many who identify as liberal. Furthermore, she has gained support by

many celebrities, such as Ellen DeGeneres.

Conclusion:

The election of 2020 is only a mere year away, and with the democratic primaries even

closer, the United States is witnessing a major change in the political scene. If the liberal-

democrats can gain enough votes to elect a president with their ideals, change is likely to come in

the five major areas of support. The Democratic Party, dominated by those who identify as left-

leaning liberal, has taken a large stance in the contemporary political scene, and if they win, a

large change in government involvement and how the average Americans lives will change

significantly.

Works Cited

Beauchamp, Z. (2019, March 4). A Clinton-era centrist Democrat explain why it’s time to give

democratic socialist a chance. Retrieved from vox.com/policy-and-

politics/2019/3/4/18246381/democrats-clinton-sanders-left-brad-delong
 The Liberal Shift 7

Douthat, R. (2019, March 12). Bernie Sanders, Socialism’s Regan?. Retrieved from

nytimes.com/2019/03/12/opinion/bernie-sanders-socialism-reagan-.html

Padden, Brian. (2019, March 18). Democrats See Health Care as Winning Issue in 2020 US

Election. Retrieved from

voanews.com/a/democrats-see-health-care-as-winning-issue-in-2020-us-

election/4835588.html

Saad, L., Jones, J. M., Brenan, M. (2019, February 19). Understanding Shifts in Democratic

Party Ideology. Retrieved from news.gallup.com/poll/246806/understanding-shifts-

democratic-party-ideology.aspx