American politics is in the midst of what might perhaps best be described as an existential crisis. There are millions of people across the country who are feeling entirely disenfranchised by the existing structures of political power. They’re seeking new political ideas, new leadership, and new guidance, and they’re seeking escape from the vicious partisan divide that has our government all but churned to a halt.
Many people are hopeless. The Republican and Democratic parties seem to be failing to deliver a functioning government and constructive political leadership. Yet they are entities beholden to powerful interests which have the money to buy influence to run the country—what in world could compete with that?
Well, there is a group of campaign experts and activists who think they have the answer, and they’re calling their campaign for it “Brand New Congress”. It’s an impressively politically calculated and totally innovative strategy, and if it succeeds, it could be a serious game-changer for politics-as-usual.
Brand New Congress formed through a coalition of people who staffed and volunteered for campaigns during the 2016 presidential primary season, primarily for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Now, they want to run a nation-wide campaign for every single house in Congress in order to build a government that “works for all”.
The campaign plans to develop of a slate of candidates from every district by seeking out non-politicians, servant leaders and true community representatives across the country to run on a shared platform full of popular policy proposals regarding economic expansion and “liberty and justice for all”.
Already, this is a totally new idea. Running a nation-wide, presidential-style campaign for Congress? But they really surprise a lot of folks by their intention to run both Republicans and Democrats, in red and blue districts respectfully.
Many people in America have given up hope that Republicans and Democrats will ever work together, but most wish they would. Brand New Congress says they want to find people who truly represent their constituency politically, but they aren’t themselves politicians. If they’re right, the level of divisiveness in politics has a lot to do with career politicians and political corruption—put community servants and non-politicians in those seats, and they will start working together on shared goals.
The genius of Brand New Congress may be that it is genuinely aiming to be a moderate, sensible political option in a practically-corrupted, rhetorically-extremist political climate that people are desperate to escape. A recent Gallup poll from 2016 indicated that about 42% of Americans consider themselves political Independents. In comparison, Republicans and Democrats made up 29% and 26% of Americans respectively.
It reminds me of something my freshman history professor said during a lesson on the ideological split between Jefferson and Hamilton, founders of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist parties: “America seems to be damned to the two party system”. How is it that there are more people who feel unrepresented by the dominant U.S. political parties than there are people in any of the parties themselves?
It’s not because people who don’t like Republicans or Democrats are too lazy to build an alternative or a new party. It’s because the special interests behind American politics and Washington have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. These interests are more centrally networked and they have a disproportionate influence on the social, cultural and economic institutions of our society.
People sense this, and that’s why they’re so discontent with American politics. Congress has a mere 26% approval rating among Americans. Can Brand New Congress successfully convince voters across the political spectrum that they are the answer to the political gridlock and corruption that make Americans so frustrated with their representatives?
Only time will tell. The campaign is focused on being a major contender in the 2018 midterm elections, and while they have garnered national attention from major publications and news outlets, they haven’t yet announced any confirmed candidates.
But there’s no doubt this campaign is unique, innovative, and at least trying to respond to the fact that most Americans hold both political parties, the legislative branch and the White House in contempt. As non-traditional and ambitious as the plan sounds, it might be just the kind of plan of action in response to the tumultuous 2016 Presidential election that the largely politically independent American people could get behind.
You can visit BrandNewCongress.org to learn more about their platform, donate, sign up for their email list and find out how you can get involved by volunteering or nominating a candidate that you feel represents your congressional district.
