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Truman Strategy Papers
The September 11th Generation: The National Security Beliefs of Voters Under 30
In 2004, voters under 30 turned out in numbers bigger than in any year since 18-year-olds were given the right to vote--in 10 years, voters under 30 will compose 25% of the electorate. These children of the baby boomers, whose searing political memories are the fall of the twin towers and the Iraq war, have an entirely new way of looking at national security. Theold dove-hawk, liberal-conservative dichotomies crafted during the Cold Wars and solidifed with the Vietnam generation are useless in describing today's young. Voters under 30 are simultaneously human rights crusaders and supporters of a strong military. They are concerned about traditional and non-traditional security threats and comfortable with the use of force--but adamant about working with alliances and maintaining the repect of other countries. They are the September 11th Generation, a generation that is quietly but powerfully helping to reshape our national security debate.
Download this paper as a PDFProgressives and the Military: Bridging the Gap
The divide between progressives and the military is rooted in cultural differences and reinforced by decades of misunderstanding. This separation is not benign: it harms the credibility of progressives in the national security sphere, and hinders progressive leaders' ability to make good policy with a full understanding of military capabilities, strengths, vulnerabilities, and needs.
Turmoil within the military, largely due to strains from the Iraq War, is causing many in uniform to question long-held political assumptions—providing a crucial opportunity for healing this unnecessary, deeply harmful division. If progressives ignore this opportunity, the general military perception that progressives do not care about military concerns will remain—or, tragically, the internal military narrative of progressive distaste for America's defenders will be strengthened. This paper is the first in a series aimed at building at healing this divide.
Reforming Immigration: A Strong Security, Pro-Immigrant Policy for Democrats
Americans must stand against illegal immigration—it is an assault on our security and our sovereignty. We need to know who is in our country to be able to keep criminals and terrorists out. But we are a country of immigrants. For the sake of this country's commitment to our own values, a strong economy, our role as international leaders, and our long-term security and vibrancy, we must be pro-immigrant. And Democrats are the best equipped to create a new, smarter immigration policy, one that embraces our history as an immigrant country, while making our borders and communities more secure.
Where We Went Wrong: How the Public Lost Faith in Democrats' Ability to Protect Our National Security, and How to Stage a Comeback
Democrats began losing public trust in national security after the Vietnam War, and the confidence gap has remained large and steady ever since. As security issues rise in public importance, the Democratic loss of the national security "issue" (a situation in which simply discussing national security, regardless of content, aids Republicans with voters) will hurt Democratic chances at the polls. For our country to have the debate and discussion that national security issues deserve, we need two parties with credibility and voter trust in issues of national security.
This Truman Paper analyzes what the Democrats did wrong, and Republicans did right, in three crucial areas: 1) policies, 2) political positioning and timing of those policies, and 3) the presentation, or narrative, which links policies into an overarching framework so that they resonate and make sense to the public. It ends with a case study of the Republican renaissance in education to provide a roadmap for how Democrats could regain credibility in the national security arena. This paper is about process, not content. It is the first step down a long road towards giving America a real national security debate once again.
The Values that Unite Democrats
The widespread perception that the Democratic Party does not know what we stand for has hurt our electability. But we are not a set of cobbled-together interest groups—we are Democrats because we hold a shared set ofdeep, principled beliefs.We must articulate these beliefs if we are to be seen as authentic again, and if our policies are to uphold our principles.This paper articulates the values that unite Democrats, and their historical legacy.
Creating Truman Democrats: A Three-Step Program for Rebuilding Democratic National Security Strategy.
This is the introductory paper in our Truman Paper series. It is an analysis of the obstacles Democrats must face externally and internally for strong security positions to gain dominance within our party, and suggests a messaging and values path for overcoming these tripwires.
