Before we get to the real post this morning, we want to flag that Searchlight is hiring! Visit our website for more information, and keep an eye out for new roles in the weeks to come.
Where things stand
A recent piece by Zack Beauchamp highlighted that for conservative thinkers, there is a well-resourced pipeline that connects them to policymakers, commentators, and high-ranking officials with open ears to new ideas. Yet as Beauchamp points out in his piece, for liberal thinkers, the opportunities are…very slim.
We’re here to fix that.
In developing our fellowship program here at Searchlight, we identified the key barriers to the current liberal policymaking pipeline:
Too few professional entry points: While some liberal think tanks offer internships or fellowships, there are few openings and a dearth of opportunities for professionals with their careers underway. The on-ramps for professionals that do exist are primarily accessible to—and reserved for—those with certain academic or professional credentials. For those who have started their career in a different field, the pivot opportunities are even rarer.
A lack of support infrastructure: Funding, administrative help, and mentorship are scattered or effectively nonexistent. Promising ideas often stall due to individuals not being willing to take risks without validators to back them up, or not having the additional institutional resources necessary for heavy policy lifts.
A culture of caution: Liberal policy development is often shaped with a cloud of cautiousness hanging over the heads of those who contribute. The instinct is to spend months or years perfecting every word, poll-testing every line, and appeasing every special interest, rather than simply putting ideas into the world and then observing the reaction.
A hiring system that values homogeneity: Openness to individuals from varied backgrounds and experiences should not just be lines in a job posting, but actually practiced. Don’t already have the “right” credentials? Worked in corporate America? Taught elementary school? Waited tables? We need ideas from wherever they may come because we know lived experiences inform good policy.
Much of this ties back to the fact that conservatives (in all of their different dimensions) view their ideology in the context of a movement. Conservative figures have made themselves remarkably available to people interested in growing their movement—especially aspiring professionals. They see investing in mentorships, networking, and opening clear on-ramps to influential spaces as the lifeblood of conservatism. Liberals need to step up to the plate.
Here is Searchlight’s offer
Tell us a little bit about yourself. We want to understand how you approach policymaking—what do you think constitutes bad policy design? What’s a deeply unpopular policy that you do support? Ever have to kill your own policy idea? Tell us about how that went. We are looking for sharp thinkers who share our values of agility and fearlessness in creating real-world solutions that will drive lasting change.
Pitch us your best, most innovative ideas. Over the course of the fellowship, you will research, produce, and present a novel policy proposal to address an ongoing policy issue. Tell us what you expect to achieve in your time with us, and what you need to make it happen. It’s a sprint, and we expect you to come ready to hit the ground running.
If selected, here’s what you’ll receive:
A $10,000 monthly stipend for three months.
Access to Searchlight’s full suite of resources, including polling, research, office space, communications, and government relations support.
Support for your future professional endeavors through networking and connections to policymakers.
We know we don’t have a premium on all the good ideas (yet). To generate the ideas we need to meet this moment, we have to bolster and expand the professional ecosystem that dictates policy. Let’s get started.
Yes, liberals have a policy pipeline problem. However, that problem is not due to a lack of think tanks. That flawed conclusion presumes that a small group of smart people can and should construct the ideas that propel America forward. This strategy would only reinforce the criticism that the Democratic party is elitist and out of touch with every day Americans. Such an approach works with Republicans because they by their very nature seek leadership, and are happy to fall in line with a cult-like adoration. One has only to attend one Democratic convention to be disabused of the notion that Democrats are capable of anything similar. No, the real problem here is that Democrats have failed to seek input from average Americans. And I'm not referring to conventional polling. Most people will never have the opportunity to participate in a political poll. Also, traditional polls are front loaded with questions and are thus by their construct not representative of true conversation. Focus groups are fine, but are limited and inefficient. Democrats need a real conversation with America. One way to do that is for the Democratic party to do something that has never been attempted: Put up a website that invites such input—not from third party think tanks, but from the Democratic party itself. Elected officials would publicly invite participation. Ask America what problems it wants the Democratic party to address and how it should do so. Americans would be able to participate in detailed polls on every topic, and also provide unsolicited input. Yes, such an endeavor would be resource intensive and invite cranks. Hackers may run amok and servers may go down. But in the end, America will know that the Democratic party wants its input and it will have received it.
Its' not just a pipeline problem, it's a policy problem.
Trying to be the "party of everyone" has given them a platform list so long they can't even you tell you what all is on there.
Anyone with a $10 bill can get another plank added.
They need to streamline and prioritize what matters most: RCV/MMD, Medicare for all, ending money in politics/corruption.
Set the narrative instead of being reactive.