Chaotic Neutral: How the Democrats Lost Their Soul in the Center

A recent history of the Democratic Party that identifies its chronic errors--the "pathologies" of the New Democratic mindset--and argues urgently against a return to the status quo

Why did the Democrats initially abandon their principles, and why haven't they been able to grasp that they need a new strategy in the face of decades of diminishing returns? In Chaotic Neutral, political scientist Ed Burmila breaks it to us, tracing the party's metamorphosis from bold defender of labor rights, civil rights, and a robust social safety net to a timorous, ideology-free, regulation-averse lifestyle brand.

Chaotic Neutral tracks the evolution (or devolution) of the Democratic Party from the New Deal era to Biden's status-quo candidacy and the pandemic, when, even in the midst of a national crisis, the Democrats could not manage to pass sweeping progressive legislation. It is a timely analysis and, simultaneously, a timeless one that pinpoints why Dem politicians act like also-rans even when they're in power.

Burmila doesn't pull any punches as he describes the Democrats' brand of futility politics, but he also doesn't claim that all is futile, instead laying out a potent strategy for how the party might abandon its lesser-of-two-evils strategy and shift back into drive.


About the Author

Ed Burmila has taught and written on American politics for two decades. He holds a PhD in political science, spent ten years as a professor, is a veteran blogger and podcaster, has published original research in several academic journals, and has contributed to popular outlets such as The Nation and the Washington Post. His heart lives in Chicago; the rest of him lives in North Carolina with his wife, Cathy, and two dogs.