The Politics of Polycrisis

To respond to the rising challenges of insecurity and inequality that plagued advanced capitalist countries in recent years, social democratic parties urgently need a new intellectual paradigm. Forging new ideas means being prepared to enter into dialogue with other political traditions. Overcoming political paralysis necessitates moving radically beyond stale and out of date »tax-and-spend« solutions to the economic and social problems of our age. That means forging a new approach to market capitalism that tackles concentrations of corporate and market power, governing in the public interest. It is essential to cultivate institutions between the traditional state and the free market that provide community attachment, respect for traditional roles, and a sense of mutual obligation. To find a path back to power, social democrats must combine a forward-looking agenda for inclusive prosperity with protecting the pillars of securitythat give meaning to our lives in an era of unprecedented instability and upheaval.