Populism and Political Economy: Looking Ahead to 2021

Heading into the 2020 primary season, voters in the Democratic party are roughly split between centrist candidates like Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg and populist candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The previous two Democratic Presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, governed under centrist principles, making candidates looking to continue along similar lines more well understood by the public; but the distance between now and the last populist Democratic President means that stakeholders need to look more closely at the people and ideas driving populism within the Democratic party to fully appreciate what a populist Democratic agenda in 2021 might look like. Further, it’s worth discussing how populist ideas might even play a key role in influencing a centrist presidency, given that so much of the Democratic primary electorate, particularly younger voters, are embracing populist candidates.

On February 5, The Capitol Forum is hosting a conference to discuss what a populist Democratic agenda would look like.  Policymakers, campaign representatives, and subject matter experts will come together to discuss potential initiatives and priorities for members of Congress and the executive branch, should the Presidency be won by one of the populist Democratic candidates.  As the campaign unfolds, we will look to host additional conferences focused on alternative election outcomes.

The conference will focus on policies that would reform a range of sectors of the economy, including banking, tech platforms, healthcare, energy, and agriculture.  We’ll also take a look at the key personnel decisions that could determine whether or not populist policies end up being implemented.

To ensure a robust and diverse set of speakers with populist credentials for this event, we’ve partnered with groups driving a progressive populist economic agenda, including Open Markets Institute, Americans for Financial Reform, Demand Progress Education Fund, and the Revolving Door Project.