The New Democrats are the centrist faction of the US Democratic Party, having formed after the 1988 United States presidential election. The New Democrats are known to be involved with "machine politics" in the same way as the Establishment Republicans, using Super PACs and political connections to make gains rather than relying on the support of the people. For this reason, New Democrat Hillary Clinton was unpopular when the Progressive Democrats' choice, Bernie Sanders, ran against her in the 2016 Democratic primaries.
History and Overview[]
The New Democrats emerged in the late 1980's in response to the string of Democratic losses in presidential elections during the 1970s and 1980s. Leaders within the party sought to rebrand the Democratic Party as more centrist, pragmatic, and business-friendly to appeal to suburban and middle-class voters, who voted Republican in droves during the Reagan era. The movement reached its pinnacle with the election of Bill Clinton, a founding member, as president in 1992.
Bill Clinton and the 1990s[]
President Bill Clinton, major founder of the New Democrats
Bill Clinton became president after winning the 1992 election, making inroads with the suburban middle class that used to be solidly Republican. The New Democrats received a multitude of successes under the Clinton administration, including welfare reform, middle-class tax cuts, a balanced federal budget, and the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit. Clinton presented himself as a centrist and successfully won over many middle-class whites. The New Democrats succeeded in cementing free trade as the United States' trade policy with the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a core international agreement. Clinton and the New Democrats also worked extensively with Republicans to achieve bipartisan solutions on crime, gay rights, and tax cuts. Clinton also succeeded in making the faction an interventionist one with the bombings of Iraq and Yugoslavia.
2000s and the Obama Era[]
The New Democrats were out of power for most of the 2000s with George Bush's presidency. The New Democrats widely supported the hawkish policies of Bush, including being in favor of the Iraq and Afghan wars. With the self-described New Democrat Barack Obama's victory in 2008 the faction was back in power. Obama was very pro-free trade and interventionist. The Obama presidency was marked by neoliberalism and suburban-centered policies. During this time the New Democrats widely dominated the Democratic Party.
2016-2020s[]
President Joe Biden
New Democrat Hillary Clinton was nominated in 2016 to run against the populist Donald Trump. Clinton faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from the party's rising progressive wing under Bernie Sanders. Despite Clinton beating Sanders, the party was becoming more divided, and the New Democrats were losing support. Trump won the election, marking a temporary progressive shift away from the New Democrats during his term. Many progressives were fed up with the Democratic establishment and their neoliberal politics, including the rise in American interventionism during the 2010s under Obama. In the chaotic year of 2020, Joe Biden, a New Democrat, won the presidential election under the banner of unifying the country. Despite the backlash against the New Democrat establishment, they were widely seen by many voters as the only ones capable of winning a presidential race. Biden won many suburban Americans, who previously voted Republican. The flip side was that Biden and the New Democrats support for free trade and neoliberal policies began to alienate working-class and minority voters.
The defeat of Kamala Harris during the 2024 election and a return to Trumpism sparked widespread debate around the future of the faction. Some claimed that the faction was actively dying due to the loss of Harris. The faction lost many elements of the broad Democratic coalition, including working-class votes and minorities. This is due to the New Democrats being perceived as elitists, the decline of support for neoliberalism, their support of free trade, and catering to college-educated suburban voters, which let Republicans make inroads with urban and working-class voters. Harris is said to have abandoned populist messages to the working class, instead going in favor of big donors and college-educated voters.
Policy Positions[]
The New Democrats have been described as economically moderate-conservative and socially liberal.
On economics, the faction supports fiscal responsibility, like balancing the budget, cutting deficits, and pro-business policies. New Democrats also favor free-trade, investments in infrastructure, and globalization. They also support some regulation of big business.
On social issues, the New Democrats pledge support for LGBTQ+ rights, abortion rights, and equality. They focus on equality of opportunity over redistribution. New Democrats seek to implement progressive policies like environmental protections and universal healthcare through slow, market-based solutions rather than sweeping government programs. Especially during the 1990s, the faction also supported tough on crime policies, though many of these stances have been moderated today.
The New Democrats are also interventionist, supporting military interventions across the world, including in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Serbia. They are also staunch supporters of Ukraine and Israel and advocate for more aid to those countries.
Voter and Geographic Base[]
American suburban area
The New Democrats draw their support from professionals, college-educated voters, and middle-class families living in suburban areas. They also receive support from moderate Democrats due to their centrism and a balanced approach to economics. Some younger, socially liberal Democrats are drawn to the New Democrats' forward-thinking and innovative policies. Though their support is waning, many Latino and Black communities continue to support the New Democrats. Geographically, the faction is particularly strong in urban and suburban areas in the Northeast and swing states like Georgia, Virginia, Colorado, and North Carolina. The New Democrats also have significant support in coastal areas such as New York City, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles. For many years the faction has sought to rebuild its strength in the Midwestern states, with limited success, though many suburbs and urban areas vote Democratic in this region.
Gallery[]
