The Democratic loss of the popular vote and presidential election in 2024 represents a large shift in how Americans vote. For decades, the Democratic Party frequently won the popular vote and was able to masquerade as a populist party in the United States. The Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission Supreme Court case changed this, opening up loopholes for large corporations and wealthy individuals to donate unfettered sums of money to political campaigns, with either explicit or expected capital return on their investments. A system propelling the wishes of the thriving rich (the wealthiest few) over the needs of the suffering public (a majority of Americans) is not a democracy; it’s a corporatocracy (a government ruled by corporations).

In contemporary America, with the reality of the struggling working class, Americans seek change. During the Biden administration, Americans suffered as the Democratic establishment, funded by corporate mega-donors, governed instead of the will of the people. At almost every turn, the Biden administration failed to accomplish any substantive economic change that would ameliorate American workers. His administration failed to make a full-time job a living wage, to go after real estate giants that bought up property and inflated the prices of buying a home, making it infeasible for most Americans, to instate regulations on unfettered medical insurance claim denials at the behest of the public’s safety, or to go after company’s raising grocery prices based on greed.

This reality deeply affected the American population’s economic stability and led to a sense of desperation for change and a wish for a return to normalcy. Correctly, many Americans pinned the blame on the current administration’s inaction on important issues affecting them. As a response to criticism, establishment Democrats pointed to other economic indicators that showed positive job growth or lower inflation rates, rather than addressing the systemic problems at play. This decision was made because said systemic problems at play result from unfettered capital gains by large corporations, large corporations which donate large sums to political campaigns. Ultimately, the people understood that the Democratic Party would not help them.

Then, the contrast became very apparent when the GOP began to message the American people on the failures of the Democratic Party, which was very effective to a desperate population. The GOP, however, did not accurately assign the blame to corporate donors, but rather scapegoated the issue to immigrants. Conversely, the Democrats all but told the American people they were delusional. This leaves Americans with two options: vote for the party that pretends to validate your current financial struggles, or the party that says there isn’t even a problem. Reasonably, Americans chose the party that pretends to validate their financial struggles. 

The left were then given the possibility of change. When Joe Biden’s horrific debate performance led to his exit from the election, people saw the potential for change in a new candidate, something the majority of Americans, characterized by economic insecurity, could actually get behind. This continued while Kamala Harris took Biden’s place, giving a breath of fresh air to the Democrats’ base, which lasted for only around a month until Harris continued to ignore the financial reality of everyday Americans and unpopular policies. This, of course, is a result of the establishment controlling public policy around the rich’s interests. This came to a notable extent with Harris stating in her nomination acceptance speech that she will ensure that America will have the “most lethal fighting force” in the world, and will continue to support Israel militarily, two beliefs adverse to a significant number of Americans around the country, especially with the Democrat’s voting base.

If Democrats had the courage to stand up for the people and their needs over the wishes of billionaires, it could have effectively countered the destructive and dangerous messaging from the Republican Party. The Democrats had the capability to change the course of the nation, to avoid deportations without due process, protect the foundations of democracy, protect civil liberties, and ensure the longevity of the United States, and it failed.

The Democratic Party cannot, at this point, continue to masquerade as the party for the working class. It is now beyond evident that the people do not believe Democrats will stand up for their interests.

There does, however, remain hope for the future. Many Americans chose the GOP solely because of the Democrats’ failure. Americans are now, unfortunately, experiencing the negative effects of the GOP’s rule, and will eventually realize that immigrants did not cause the economic problems they face. Americans are in a greater position than before to distance themselves from the Democratic and Republican establishments and promote non-establishment candidates, those who clearly have genuine care for the people. 

Additionally, the Democratic establishment’s billionaire donors wish to make a return on their investment. Right now, no policy is being made on their behalf due to Democratic political failure, therefore, they will go to the Republican party, depriving Democrats of funding. This has the potential to force the party to seek the public’s donations, rather than corporations’, leading to diversity of political thought. Conversely, it also has the potential to lean more and more to the political right. To prevent this, the people need to be active advocates for political change in the Democratic Party.

Ultimately, American “democracy” has been in a precarious situation for years, and prevents necessary social, political, economic, and environmental reform from being made. The system is functioning exactly as intended: working in the interests of corporations over the people. Hope for change, however, isn’t lost; in fact, I argue that it’s in a better position than it has been previously. In my mind, the entire American population is getting a great representation of the political status quo in the United States, which will greatly inform their political perspective alongside a large socioeconomic political movement that accurately places the blame on corporations. Our civic duty is to the democracy of the United States, which has for years been in peril, and therefore, a national political movement of the likes that I mention is an obligation of the younger generation.