Democracy (journal)

Democracy
Premier Issue, Summer 2006
Type Quarterly Political Magazine
Format Magazine
Editor Michael Tomasky
Founded 2006
Political alignment Progressivism / Liberalism
Language English
Headquarters 2120 L Street, NW
Suite 305
Washington, DC 20037
Website www.democracyjournal.org

Democracy is a quarterly journal of progressive and liberal politics, as well as culture, founded by Kenneth Baer and Andrei Cherny in 2006. While new, Democracy is intended to be the progressive/liberal answer to such prominent and influential conservative journals as The Public Interest, Policy Review, Commentary, and The National Interest. Baer and Cherny state in a message to readers in the first issue that they intend to "regenerate the strength of the progressive movement" with "big ideas."[1] Contrasting themselves with National Review's William F. Buckley, Baer and Cherny proclaim their journal will "stand athwart history and yell, Forward!"[1] The editors put forward Democracy as "a place where ideas can be developed and important debates can be spurred" at a "time when American politics has grown profoundly unserious."[1]

Baer told The Hill “We think that the party is rich in tactics and poor in ideas. What we really need for long-term success is deep, serious thinking about how we’re going to apply long-held progressive values to new challenges.”[2]

Cherny added “I had started thinking about where all of the conservative ideas, for better or worse, had come from. Every big idea — Social Security privatization, supply-side economics, preemption, faith-based initiatives — had come out of one of their journals in their intellectual infrastructure.”[2]

In an editorial for the Los Angeles Times on July 10, 2006, Baer and Cherny laid out a case for making a break with what they characterized as the "ad hoc approach to politics" they claim the current Democratic Party is engaged in.[3]

On March 3, 2009 Michael Tomasky replaced Kenneth Baer as editor when Baer left to become associate director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Baer, Kenneth; Andrei Cherny (Summer 2006). "A Message to Our Readers". Democracy 1 (1). Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kaplan, Jonathan (2006-06-20). "Hoping to emulate conservative success, Dem young guns launch journal of ideas". The Hill. Archived from the original on 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  3. ↑ Baer, Kenneth; Andrei Cherny (2006-07-10). "Wake up, Democrats: Ideas and vision do matter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  4. ↑ Kiss, Jemima. "Michael Tomasky joins political journal Democracy" The Guardian, February 18, 2009

External links