On the one hand we have the Democratic Party, which limits itself to small programs that might help a small number of people. Just enough to give the appearance of being on the side of the working class and oppressed without upsetting their more important relationships with the rich and corporations. On the other hand we have socialist organizations, who tend to base their demands on the raw wants and needs of people without concern for what the actual effects would be if their demands were implemented. They usually explain this away by saying that if their solutions cause more problems than they solve, they'll just fight for more solutions to those problems. The only really important thing is to get people involved in the struggle. The problem is that before the socialists have a chance to explain why revolution is ultimately imperative, people have already concluded that their program is impractical, and moved on. Here is an alternative program I'm working on:
Three Key Pillars
Federalize All Taxes
A fundamental challenge to increasing taxes and government spending is that wealthy people and businesses will leave states and municipalities that have high taxes. Conversely, poor people may be drawn to locations with better welfare programs. This creates a situation in which a shrinking tax base supports growing needs. The solution is to have all taxes be collected by the federal government. Money would then be distributed from the federal government to the state, county, and municipal governments in amounts proportionate to population.
Welfare for All
However necessary they may be from a humanitarian perspective, welfare programs that only benefit people below a threshold of poverty will never be very popular. Even if it is a very small percentage of people receiving benefits, there is an awareness of the fact that some people choose not to be employed or only work part time for fear of losing there benefits. The solution is to provide the same welfare package to everyone. Specifically:
Free Post-Secondary Education
Education is a right that should not end with high school. Children should not be forced to choose between starting their lives saddled with massive debt or taking the risk of entering the job market with no post-secondary education. Providing this education will strengthen the economy, decrease social problems that are correlated with low education levels, and intrinsically improve the human condition.
Nationalized Healthcare
For too long our society has assented to letting people die who could be saved. What we need is not a public/private hybrid system that only brings us halfway there (nor Obamacare, which only brings us a quarter of the way there). We need to go all the way, with hospitals and clinics under public ownership.
Replace Social Security with a Flat Rate Public Pension
Perhaps it was political genius when politicians created Social Security eight decades ago: create a system that people depend on, but, unlike almost every other part of the federal government, make it dependent on a specific funding source. Then, when the system starts to fracture, the politicians can spend every election arguing about how to fix it rather than talking about real issues. The solution is to eliminate payroll taxes and pay for a public pension using general government funds. Social Security Disability benefits will likewise be replaced.
Food Stamps and Housing Subsidies for All (Sufficient to End Homelessness)
Everyone needs food and shelter, so everyone should be guaranteed some minimal level of these necessities.
Integrate Communities
There has been much focus on integration of schools, but is busing kids long distances really the best solution? What about when they get home? Can they really be put on a path to success living in an area of concentrated poverty (which likely implies an area of concentrated crime)? Do developers and municipal leaders have the right to build whatever kind of housing they want wherever they want if that means the right to force the poor into ghettos? Dealing with inequality will require integration of communities, not just schools. A possible plan would involve defining quartiles for home values. A neighborhood that is overweighted in one quartile would need to build more homes in the other quartiles before building any more homes in the overweighted quartile. Achieving full integration would be a long, slow process, but also very necessary.
Political Structure Reform
Replace Congress with a Unicameral Legislature with Proportional Representation
A person in Wyoming has 26% more influence over the House of Representatives than a person in California. In the Senate a Wyoming vote is worth about 67 times a California vote. People in the District of Columbia have no representation in Congress. Reform is needed, and party list proportional representation has the best promise of getting people involved in politics.
Ranked Choice Voting for Executive Offices
With ranked choice voting people will begin to vote for what they want rather than just voting against what they fear.
Some Additional Planks
These are not necessarily as unique as the Key Pillars, but they are still important planks that I think could gain overwhelming support.
Implement a Carbon Tax
We need to start treating climate change as the emergency it is. A progressively increasing carbon tax is the best way to do this. This would need to be coupled with the measures for making taxes more progressive at the bottom of the program. It would also require trade deals that account for emissions.
Cap Military Spending at an Amount Equal to the Next Largest Military Spender
Do we really need a military that is more than twice as powerful as that of any other country. Currently, the second largest spender is China. If we matched our spending to theirs, we would achieve a 70% reduction, freeing up $416 billion per year.
Make Taxes Progressive
Eliminate Sales Taxes
Reduce the Corporate Tax Rate
Tax Dividends and Capital Gains at the Same Rate as Income
Increase the Maximum Income Tax Rate
Implement a Net Wealth Tax Similar to the Norwegian System
