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Show Hinckley Journal of Politics Spring 2000 The Democratic Leadership Council: An Explanation of the Organization through an Examination of Education Policy By John Lyman Founded in J 984 by a group of moderate Southern politicians, the Democratic Leadership Council's goal was to move the Democratic Party toward the center of the political spectrum. Although it struggled at first the DLC caught a break in 1992 when Bill Clinton, one of the organization's founders, was elected President. Since then the DLC has grown in size and become a major factor in national politics and policy making. The organization has achieved its success by pioneering a "Third Way" of approaching the problems that confront the nation. Instead of being couched in the old terms of "liberal" and "conservative," the DLC has moved the debate above partisan politics and toward logical solutions. Many feel that this move toward the center is the wave of the future in politics. But simply talking about the "Third Way" in an abstract manner is confusing. This essay, by taking one issue - in this case education reform - and examining ideas held by liberals, conservatives and "Third Wayers," is an endeavor to make the purpose of the DLC more easily understood. Introduction The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) was formed in 1985 by a group of moderate Democrats who sought to refocus the goals of their party. Those who joined the organization felt that on the national level the Democrats no longer connected with middle-class America. These New Democrats, as they called themselves, wanted to create a "Third Way" to deal with America's problems, a way that was not necessarily conservative or liberal but was instead the most logical approach to resolving issues. The newly formed DLC argued that one of the biggest problems in politics was that with so many competing factions and interest groups the best ideas often get pushed aside. They sought to rise above partisan politics and focus on solutions to problems. Although they denied that their policies simply split the difference between the left and the right, critics immediately charged that the Third Way is a form of moderate politics that seeks to please the greatest number of people by offering ideas that offend the fewest. What exactly does the term Third Way mean? Is it prop- john Lyman is currently an undergraduate at Georgetown University where he is seeking a degree in government. He wishes to thank Tracy Sterns, his parents, and everyone at the University of Utah for their help with this article. aganda created by the DLC to sell itself? Or is it the best way to approach crime, health care, pollution, and the other problems that confront our country today? Perhaps the best way to understand the Third Way is to take one area of reform and compare the ideas of the liberal Brookings Institution, the conservative Heritage Foundation, and the Third Way Democratic Leadership Council. History of the DLG The Democratic Leadership Council had its roots in a hot, humid evening in the midst of the dog days of summer in San Francisco. The year was 1984 and the Democratic Party had just nominated former Vice President Walter Mondale to be its presidential candidate for the fall elections. It was a time of hope for the Democrats. They controlled both houses of Congress, had twenty more state governorships than the GOP and held mayoral positions in many large American cities. But they had one underlying problem: Apart from electing Jimmy Carter in 1976 in the aftermath of Watergate they had lost every presidential election since 1964. Their party did not connect with the American people on a national level. Many Democrats thought Walter Mondale could change all of that. With him in the White House they would control the executive and legislative branches of the national government. They would be able to deliver their policies to the American people. 47 |
