How Democrats Lost the Future
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this engaging political discussion, Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss sits down with Derek Thompson to tackle the Democratic Party's brand crisis and propose bold solutions for America's digital-age challenges. (01:02) Auchincloss advocates for what he calls a "digital syntax" - a comprehensive approach to combat the harmful effects of social media platforms that profit from hijacking attention, particularly targeting children's developing brains. (04:30) The conversation explores how Democrats can move beyond defensive politics to offer memorable, actionable policies that address real problems like housing costs, healthcare expenses, and social media addiction.
- Core themes include the attention economy's destructive effects on mental health, the need for Democrats to embrace "touch grass populism," and practical solutions like taxing digital advertising revenue while deregulating physical world construction.
Speakers
Jake Auchincloss
Massachusetts Congressman serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over technology companies and a broad cross-section of the American economy. (05:45) Auchincloss is the youngest father in the Democratic caucus with three children ages 2, 4, and 5, and previously ran the MIT entrepreneurship competition, bringing both parental perspective and tech industry experience to his policy work. He's a Marine Corps veteran who has made reopening schools and combating social media's effects on children central to his political mission.
Derek Thompson
Host of Plain English podcast and staff writer at The Atlantic, known for his work on economic policy, technology, and cultural trends. Thompson has written extensively about abundance liberalism and the intersection of technology, politics, and society, bringing deep expertise to discussions about Democratic Party strategy and policy innovation.
Key Takeaways
Target Digital Dopamine, Not Just Big Tech Structure
Auchincloss argues that traditional antitrust approaches miss the real problem affecting families. (09:32) Instead of focusing on whether Google shares information with Bing, policymakers should address how social media platforms hijack children's dopamine systems for profit. He proposes having the Consumer Product Safety Commission work with the National Academies to create evidence-based regulations about acceptable social media use for developing brains, similar to bicycle helmet safety standards. This represents a shift from corporate structure to neurological impact as the primary regulatory concern.
Tax Digital Vice Like Traditional Vice
The congressman proposes taxing the $250 billion in annual digital advertising revenue from companies like Meta and Google, treating social media as a vice similar to cigarettes or alcohol. (10:41) This tax wouldn't target users but would make these corporations pay for the negative externalities they create, particularly regarding adolescent mental health. The revenue would fund real-world infrastructure and activities that promote genuine human connection and productivity, addressing what he sees as a massive policy imbalance favoring online activity over physical world engagement.
Cure Cost Disease Through Strategic Automation
Auchincloss explains economist William Baumol's cost disease theory - how labor-intensive sectors like housing and healthcare become increasingly expensive while technology sectors become cheaper through automation and scale. (19:43) He advocates for a four-step approach: identify which sectors to prioritize (starting with basic needs like housing and healthcare), cut regulations preventing standardization, aggressively adopt technology, and take on special interests defending the status quo. The goal is transforming expensive services into scalable, automated products.
Democrats Must Embrace "Touch Grass Populism"
Rather than offering watered-down versions of MAGA populism, Democrats should define a new center by being ideologically promiscuous - taking the best ideas from libertarians, conservatives, progressives, and populists. (36:18) Auchincloss's digital dopamine tax exemplifies what Thompson calls "touch grass populism" - drawing clear lines between the many (children and families harmed by social media) and the few (profitable tech platforms). This approach allows Democrats to be both populist and productive, channeling anti-establishment energy toward policies that expand prosperity and belonging.
Ideas Must Be Mimetic and Room-Tested
Political success requires ideas that spread organically through trusted local networks, not just media coverage. (45:35) Auchincloss emphasizes that effective political concepts must be "mimetic" - easily understood and accurately repeatable by ordinary citizens to their friends and family. He tests policy resonance through in-person events, comparing it to stand-up comedy where audience energy reveals what truly connects. (48:00) The most memorable political ideas tend to be short phrases with numbers (zero, one, or infinity) like "Medicare for All" or "Build the Wall."
Statistics & Facts
- 63% of voters held an unfavorable view of Democrats according to a March Wall Street Journal poll - the worst reading in more than three decades for the Democratic Party and one of the lowest recorded for either major party ever. (02:01)
- Meta and Google make $250 billion every year on digital advertising revenue, paying precious little tax due to international shell companies, according to Auchincloss. (11:04)
- An 18-year-old man was more likely to vote for Donald Trump than a 75-year-old man in the 2024 election, highlighting a dramatic generational shift among young male voters. (52:52)