The Optimistic Leftist

The left is likely to dominate the 21st century, and there is little the right can do about this except adapt. This seems counter-intuitive in light of the modest success the left has enjoyed since the great financial crisis of 2008-09. Though Democrats have done well in recent presidential elections, progressives have found themselves unable to move their most important policies forward, suffering through an endless series of battles with a determined and extreme Republican party. This has only been exacerbated by stunning Republican gains in recent congressional elections.

But this short-sighted perspective overemphasizes the role of crisis and underestimates the role of long-term fundamental change. "The Optimistic Leftist "takes a look at the structural and economic shifts remaking advanced societies and shows that the left is in a far better position to advance its agenda than the right. Eventually, the right will be forced to play on the left s terms to be competitive.

This is because only the left has growing, not declining, coalitional strength and only the left is willing to confront and solve capitalism s Piketty problem (a vicious cycle of rising inequality, stagnating living standards and slowing economic growth) by building a new equitable-growth opportunity state. "