‘Radical centrism’ will help new president move US ahead
President-elect Joe Biden must rise to what might be the greatest challenge any chief executive has faced since the Great Depression: how to shepherd our republic through a period of severe discord and position America as a more stable, just and economically vital country for not only the next four years but also for the next generation or two of Americans.
As demonstrated in his acceptance speech, Biden will drive a vision of national unity, seek to address the needs of all citizens, be a cheerleader for compromise and justice, and work to restore both the American middle class and respect for America abroad.
It will be a daunting challenge, especially given the fragile state of the nation’s psyche during the COVID-19 crisis.
The president-elect must heed the need for respect voiced by Trump voters when developing and selling a bipartisan agenda. That effort will be tricky, but it can be done.
As the nation can only come together by moving closer to the center, a presidential platform based on “radical centrism” is what the country needs. (Some will want to politicize the emotionally resonant word, “radical,” but the ultimate goal is to make federal government work better for all and thus enable a more dynamic form of democracy.)
To prepare the national workforce for technology-focused jobs of the future and improve America’s longterm competitiveness in the global economy, Biden could institute a “Marshall Plan” for training and retraining, with a strong emphasis on collaboration between higher education and the business sector.
For their part, corporations must make good on the call-to-action pledge over 400 of them signed on May 19, 2020, to “invest in career pathways and implement skills-based hiring practices and … accelerate reskilling and facilitate innovation in workforce development.”
To achieve bipartisan support, a “radical centrism” agenda could focus on market-based solutions to social issues more than on massive governmental expenditures we cannot afford given the exploding federal debt and budget deficit.
Controversial though they will be, ideas for a bold centrist agenda also could include:
h Providing greater incentives for compliance with federal environmental regulations geared to combat climate change, especially if they are accompanied by enhanced federal spending for alternative energy development.
h Instituting means testing for social programs.
h Setting national standards for police reform, including improved screening, mandatory training on deescalation and greater understanding of and sensitivity to diverse cultures.
h Improving public education by raising requirements for teacher qualifications, empowering principals and reforming core curriculums to include a deeper understanding of civics and race relations.
h Improving the Affordable Care Act to better balance the need for guaranteed health care coverage with tax benefits for employers of fewer than 50 people.
Over time, radical centrism will work best if there is a more level playing field for all, and the president-elect could set the table by supporting electoral reform that would mitigate vested interests, limit the power of career politicians and refresh our government by encouraging more citizen participation in electoral politics.
A good start would be to push for national campaign finance legislation focused on “clean money” in which qualifying candidates are given a set amount of money and not allowed to accept outside donations or use their own money if they accept public funds. This system has been instituted well in many democratic countries. (Only the United States and Finland have contribution limits but no spending limits.)
Abipartisan commission could be created to develop recommendations for legislation for term limits for both houses of Congress and limit the tenure of Supreme Court justices.
At a time when respect for nearly all institutions is at or near an all-time low, it’s critical the rest of this decade be viewed as a true age of reform in which respect for government makes a comeback.
As a diverse nation of more than 325 million people, we have a long tradition of both idealism and pragmatism-driven centrism to draw upon to solve our problems and strengthen our democracy.
Biden has the ideal temperament, beliefs and background to drive radical centrism. If he succeeds, his administration will help restore trust in government through pragmatic compromises, public trust will improve and political polarization will begin to decline.
Jim Simon is a central Ohio resident and former chief communications officer of several corporations. jimsimon.voices@gmail.com