After decades of left-leaning politics driving change, America is experiencing a familiar political shift: a rightward turn. The confident march of progressivism, which fueled movements like anti-racism, trans rights, and criminal justice reform, has hit a wall. According to Kevin Drum, this is no surprise—history shows that progressive eras always provoke backlash.
From the New Deal to the counterculture of the ’60s, progressive movements have thrived but eventually faltered due to public pushback against perceived overreach. Today, wokeness, extreme trans activism, and calls to “defund the police” have sparked resistance, leading to a retrenchment in American politics. However, many of the progressive gains from this period—Obamacare, gay marriage, and marijuana legalization—are likely here to stay, even as politics moves slightly to the right.
Mainstream Democrats now face a choice: resist this shift or adapt to it. Drum argues that accepting the political tide could ensure public support at a modest cost, especially given the rising disarray within the Republican Party. As history shows, progressivism ebbs and flows, but its gains often endure.
