ABSTRACT
The American experience was part of the twentieth-century expansion of social democracy, which emerged from the industrial conflict at the century's beginning and from later battles with fascism and communism as the most appealing political framework within which to shape the future. In the discussion of the future of the US political economy, therefore, Democratic Party is a placeholder both for the political organization and for an independent political movement that might emerge to champion the need for policies to make the economy-however new it is work for everyone. Specifically, a progressive economic agenda would focus on three primary areas: in order of priority, health care, pension security, and tax relief for working families. Democrats should champion a framework for discussion in which the question of what kind of America we want is answered by the question of what kind of local communities we want.
