Losing the future to the fringes

We are losing the future to the fringes.

First, progressives isolated some of Silicon Valley’s most influential tech leaders. Years of overspending and overregulation, coupled with a cancel culture that prioritized political purity over diversity of thought, pushed libertarian-leaning tech leaders into the MAGA wing of the Republican Party. Through their broad media reach and influence, these thought leaders argued that an agenda defined by three-letter acronyms and agencies had stymied growth and innovation. They posited that dismantling bureaucracy would unleash a new wave of American dynamism and helped elect an administration that embraced this mission with dizzying speed – highlighted most recently last week in Washington at a conference on Winning the AI Race. 

Then, last month in New York City, a generation of young, college-educated voters showed up in record numbers in the Democratic primary for mayor, nearly doubling their turnout – from 105,000 in 2021 to 190,000 in 2025. For the first time in recent history, voters under 39 made up the largest voting bloc and propelled a democratic socialist to victory. Their leftward shift mirrored national trends for younger voters: A recent survey found 62% of young Americans have a “favorable view” of socialism. 

The victories underscored ideological strength on the fringes and institutional weakness in the center. On the left, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Working Families Party built infrastructure, backed candidates, and won elections. Without a well-organized alternative, their adept use of media and mobilization of tens of thousands of new donors and volunteers defeated the establishment, defying the city’s major newspapers, unions, and business leaders. Meanwhile, on the right, blue-collar voters left behind by globalization and technology allied with tech leaders who benefited from these same dynamics. This unlikely coalition delivered a broader base of voters and secured both houses of Congress and the White House.  

Ideological extremes continue to dominate an increasingly polarized political discourse while centrist coalitions remain fragmented, underfunded, and weak. As a result, debates are now often framed as stark binary choices — government versus business, growth versus stagnation, safety versus justice, landlords versus tenants. Solutions center on scarcity rather than nuanced and comprehensive reforms that can provide inclusive growth with shared prosperity and shared responsibility.

But most voters are not on the extremes, and there is consistent public support for centrist, cross-sector collaboration on housing, public safety, education, fiscal responsibility, and economic growth. The challenge is not a lack of public appetite for pragmatic solutions, but rather the absence of a compelling vision that captures voters' imagination and interests and delivers real results.

A policy agenda that responds to immediate concerns and long-term challenges should cover four critical areas:

1. Address affordability by building more housing

2. Expand economic opportunity by improving education and workforce development

3. Accelerate growth by investing in energy, tech, and infrastructure

4. Improve government by increasing civic engagement and efficiency

This platform can coalesce a constituency for the future and stave off the shift to the ideological fringes. This set of principles—which we will further develop into specific projects and policies in the coming weeks and share in these pages—will give supporters a roadmap to rally behind.  

The path forward demands not just good ideas, but the political architecture to move ambition into action. We need to invest in infrastructure—in media and mobilization—to marshal moderate voters, champion new leaders, secure political victories, and stop the decline and decay of the political center. 

The stakes could not be higher. If we succeed in building a vibrant center in New York, we can provide a model for how pragmatic governance can address the complex challenges in cities and states across America. If we fail, we will let the ideological fringes define the future for all of us.

Three More Things

• On the Democratic Party, a new WSJ poll found 63% of voters viewed the Democratic Party unfavorably – the highest share in the last three decades of polling. Democrats had a net negative rating of 30 points, compared to 11-point net negative rating for Republicans. Meanwhile, Democrats in New York remain divided over whether to endorse the Democratic nominee for mayor, with Governor Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries withholding their endorsements. The DSA said earlier this month that they will "increase the pressure” and “change the political landscape in ways that make Governor Hochul responsive to our demands,” and that the “demographic voter breakdown from the June primary gave them insight into where next to run challengers.”
  

• On housing, the Charter Revision Commission voted to put five amendments to the city's constitution on the ballot this November. Three of the proposals are designed to address the city's housing shortage. Ryder Kessler from Abundance NY has a helpful explanation of both the underlying housing problem and the Commission’s proposals, including fast-tracking approvals, simplifying review processes of smaller units, and establishing an appeals process for city council rejections of affordable housing. In a recent episode of his podcast, Ben Max explored the recommendations with Robin Hood Foundation CEO Richard Buery, who served as the chair of the commission and the commission's executive director, Alec Shierenbeck.
  

• On budgets, as cities and states brace for massive shortfalls following cuts from Washington, an essay outlines how some local and state governments are cutting costs effectively. This includes changes in employment rules for the city of Denver, internalizing the expensive work of technology contractors in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and using artificial intelligence to reduce government regulations and increase efficiency in San Francisco and New Jersey. The essay notes New York opted to go in the opposite direction, passing a law "barring A.I. from replacing any part of a state employee’s job duties." For more insights on how technology can advance government innovation, read the book Recoding America from the co-author of the essay, Jennifer Pahlka, who founded Code for America, served as the U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Obama, and helped found the U.S. Digital Service.