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The Centrist Manifesto
A vision―and detailed road map to power―for a new party that will champion America’s rational center. From debt ceiling standoffs to single-digit Congress approval ratings, America’s political system has never been more polarized―or paralyzed―than it is today. As best-selling author and public policy expert Charles Wheelan writes, now is the time for a pragmatic Centrist party that will identify and embrace the best Democratic and Republican ideals, moving us forward on the most urgent issues for our nation.
Wheelan―who not only lectures on public policy but practices it as well (he ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2009)―brings even more than his usual wit and clarity of vision to The Centrist Manifesto . He outlines a realistic ground game that could net at least five Centrist senators from New England, the Midwest, and elsewhere. With the power to deny a red or blue Senate majority, committed Centrists could take the first step toward giving voice and power to America’s largest, and most rational, voting bloc: the center.
Wheelan―who not only lectures on public policy but practices it as well (he ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2009)―brings even more than his usual wit and clarity of vision to The Centrist Manifesto . He outlines a realistic ground game that could net at least five Centrist senators from New England, the Midwest, and elsewhere. With the power to deny a red or blue Senate majority, committed Centrists could take the first step toward giving voice and power to America’s largest, and most rational, voting bloc: the center.
138 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2013
62 people are currently reading
799 people want to read
About the author
Charles Wheelan
9 books507 followersCharles Wheelan is a senior lecturer and policy fellow at the Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College. He joined the Dartmouth faculty fulltime in June of 2012.
Wheelan’s most recent book, Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data, was released by W.W. Norton in January of 2013. Three weeks later, it reached the New York Times bestseller list for hardback nonfiction. The San Francisco Chronicle called it a “brilliant, funny new book.” The New York Times described Wheelan as “the Dave Barry of the coin-flipping set.”
From 2004 to 2012, Wheelan was a senior lecturer in public policy at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He taught several courses on understanding the policy process for Master’s students. For the 2004-05 academic year, he was voted Professor of the Year in a Non-Core Course by the Harris School student body.
In the fall of 2005, Wheelan created and taught the inaugural International Policy Practicum (IPP), in which 12 students studied economic reform in India for an academic term followed by a 10-day trip to Bangalore and Delhi to meet with economists, politicians, educators, civic leaders, and other experts. Subsequent IPPs have visited Brazil; Jordan and Israel; Turkey; Cambodia; and Rwanda and Madagascar.
In March of 2009, Wheelan ran unsuccessfully for Congress as the representative from the Illinois 5th District in the special election to replace Rahm Emanuel. In its editorial assessing the race, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, “Voters will find a ballot filled with impressive and thoughtful candidates . . . especially Charlie Wheelan, a University of Chicago lecturer who combines a razor-sharp mind with a boatload of charm and an impressive expertise in economics and foreign policy. We expect great things from Wheelan in the future.”
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Chicago, Wheelan was Director of Policy and Communications for Chicago Metropolis 2020, a business-backed civic group promoting healthy regional growth in the Chicago area.
From 1997 to 2002, Wheelan was the Midwest correspondent for The Economist. His story on America’s burgeoning ex-convict population was the August 10, 2002, cover story. He has written freelance articles for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and other publications.
Wheelan’s first book, Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, was published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2002. The book, an accessible and entertaining introduction to economics for lay readers, was released in paperback in September 2003 and is now published in 13 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew. The Chicago Tribune described Naked Economics as “clear, concise, informative and (gasp) witty.”
In 2007, Naked Economics was selected by 360 Degrees of Reading as one of the 360 books that every college bound student should read, alongside authors ranging from Sophocles to Malcolm X. Naked Economics was also selected as one The 100 Best Business Books of All Time by 800-CEO-READ.
Wheelan is also the author of 10 ½ Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said and An Introduction to Public Policy, a comprehensive textbook on public policy published by W.W. Norton in November of 2010.
Wheelan holds a Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Chicago, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. He lives in Chicago with his wife and three children.
Wheelan’s most recent book, Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data, was released by W.W. Norton in January of 2013. Three weeks later, it reached the New York Times bestseller list for hardback nonfiction. The San Francisco Chronicle called it a “brilliant, funny new book.” The New York Times described Wheelan as “the Dave Barry of the coin-flipping set.”
From 2004 to 2012, Wheelan was a senior lecturer in public policy at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He taught several courses on understanding the policy process for Master’s students. For the 2004-05 academic year, he was voted Professor of the Year in a Non-Core Course by the Harris School student body.
In the fall of 2005, Wheelan created and taught the inaugural International Policy Practicum (IPP), in which 12 students studied economic reform in India for an academic term followed by a 10-day trip to Bangalore and Delhi to meet with economists, politicians, educators, civic leaders, and other experts. Subsequent IPPs have visited Brazil; Jordan and Israel; Turkey; Cambodia; and Rwanda and Madagascar.
In March of 2009, Wheelan ran unsuccessfully for Congress as the representative from the Illinois 5th District in the special election to replace Rahm Emanuel. In its editorial assessing the race, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, “Voters will find a ballot filled with impressive and thoughtful candidates . . . especially Charlie Wheelan, a University of Chicago lecturer who combines a razor-sharp mind with a boatload of charm and an impressive expertise in economics and foreign policy. We expect great things from Wheelan in the future.”
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Chicago, Wheelan was Director of Policy and Communications for Chicago Metropolis 2020, a business-backed civic group promoting healthy regional growth in the Chicago area.
From 1997 to 2002, Wheelan was the Midwest correspondent for The Economist. His story on America’s burgeoning ex-convict population was the August 10, 2002, cover story. He has written freelance articles for the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and other publications.
Wheelan’s first book, Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, was published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2002. The book, an accessible and entertaining introduction to economics for lay readers, was released in paperback in September 2003 and is now published in 13 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew. The Chicago Tribune described Naked Economics as “clear, concise, informative and (gasp) witty.”
In 2007, Naked Economics was selected by 360 Degrees of Reading as one of the 360 books that every college bound student should read, alongside authors ranging from Sophocles to Malcolm X. Naked Economics was also selected as one The 100 Best Business Books of All Time by 800-CEO-READ.
Wheelan is also the author of 10 ½ Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said and An Introduction to Public Policy, a comprehensive textbook on public policy published by W.W. Norton in November of 2010.
Wheelan holds a Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Chicago, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. He lives in Chicago with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 25, 2013
I just finished this excellent book, and find myself strangely optimistic about fixing politics in America. I've been telling everyone I know to read it.
Wheelan proposes a new party, the Centrist Party, which takes the best ideas of Democrats (social progressiveness, concern for the disadvantaged) and the best ideas of Republicans (fiscal conservatism, awareness of the limits of government intervention) and combines them with a willingess to compromise on values where reasonable people can differ (abortion, guns). I think most moderate Democrats and most moderate Republicans will support most of the positions he takes.
Wheelan then goes on to outline a plan where four or five Centrist Party senators can win elections in swing states, become the swing voters in the Senate, and essentially run the country. Audacious. But it just might work. It would bring sanity and compromise back to American politics, which has become dysfunctionally partisan and unable to tackle important issues effectively these last fifteen years.
I can honestly say that this is the first political movement I have come across that I have been truly enthusiastic about. Count me in!
Wheelan proposes a new party, the Centrist Party, which takes the best ideas of Democrats (social progressiveness, concern for the disadvantaged) and the best ideas of Republicans (fiscal conservatism, awareness of the limits of government intervention) and combines them with a willingess to compromise on values where reasonable people can differ (abortion, guns). I think most moderate Democrats and most moderate Republicans will support most of the positions he takes.
Wheelan then goes on to outline a plan where four or five Centrist Party senators can win elections in swing states, become the swing voters in the Senate, and essentially run the country. Audacious. But it just might work. It would bring sanity and compromise back to American politics, which has become dysfunctionally partisan and unable to tackle important issues effectively these last fifteen years.
I can honestly say that this is the first political movement I have come across that I have been truly enthusiastic about. Count me in!
February 6, 2014
I have deeply mixed feelings about this book, which sets out the argument for a third party in contemporary American politics in clear concise terms. The core of Wheelan's argument, motivated largely by his justifiable disgust over the ideologically-motivated gridlock paralyzing
Washington, is that most Americans are willing to compromise in order to accomplish public goods, even if that means setting some of their beliefs and preferences aside. He argues convincingly that the way to do this is to focus on the Senate, observing that gerrymandering has given a large number of seats in the House to those who represent the fringe of their party's beliefs; and that the Presidency is essentially unwinnable given the realities of the electoral system. He believes that electing four or five Centrist senators--his model is Angus King of Maine--would give the effective balance of power to the block pressing for rational compromise.
All of that makes sense, and it's as good an argument for reform inside the system as I've run into.
So why the ambivalence? The basic reason is that Wheelan frames his argument to appeal to both Republicans and Democrats and he presents his analysis in ways that are rhetorically balance. He grants both parties strengths and criticizes their weakness (especially the invasive social conservatism of the right and the left's belief that government programs are the answer to everything. He says the Republicans should stay out of peoples' private lives (and bedrooms) and the Democrats are at the service of unions, especially teacher's unions. The problem for me is that he presents the market system in ways which fail to take into account the power of the large corporations. His descriptions are predicated on the existence of a free market system where good ideas enter onto level playing fields, where simply trusting the market is likely to generate the best possible solution in fields like education and health care. To say the least, I have my doubts. It's clear that Wheelan's coming from a center-right perspective, while to the extent I think reform's possible, I'm coming from the center-left. (I have my days when I'm simply off the chart of available political options in the US; that part of me is irrelevant to Wheelan's concerns.)
He offers a couple of case studies of how the centrist party would deal with contentious issues: abortion and gun control. In both cases, he argues that it's possible to come up with a rational set of policies which reflect individual freedom--abortion would be legal, guns would be legal--while encouraging public policies which reduce the number of abortions (increased access to contraceptives, eliminating economic incentives for having children one can't support) and demanding responsibility from gun owners (registration and ownership tracking). As he says, these won't please everybody, but they would take secondary issues out of the center of our political debate and force/allow us to deal with issues such as how to incorporate long-term costs (for policies such as security and environmental protection) into the market system.
This isn't a perfect book, but it's made me think. And at the end, I'm convinced that if I could sit down with Wheelan and raise the concerns and issues the book doesn't deal with, we'd have a good conversation.
Washington, is that most Americans are willing to compromise in order to accomplish public goods, even if that means setting some of their beliefs and preferences aside. He argues convincingly that the way to do this is to focus on the Senate, observing that gerrymandering has given a large number of seats in the House to those who represent the fringe of their party's beliefs; and that the Presidency is essentially unwinnable given the realities of the electoral system. He believes that electing four or five Centrist senators--his model is Angus King of Maine--would give the effective balance of power to the block pressing for rational compromise.
All of that makes sense, and it's as good an argument for reform inside the system as I've run into.
So why the ambivalence? The basic reason is that Wheelan frames his argument to appeal to both Republicans and Democrats and he presents his analysis in ways that are rhetorically balance. He grants both parties strengths and criticizes their weakness (especially the invasive social conservatism of the right and the left's belief that government programs are the answer to everything. He says the Republicans should stay out of peoples' private lives (and bedrooms) and the Democrats are at the service of unions, especially teacher's unions. The problem for me is that he presents the market system in ways which fail to take into account the power of the large corporations. His descriptions are predicated on the existence of a free market system where good ideas enter onto level playing fields, where simply trusting the market is likely to generate the best possible solution in fields like education and health care. To say the least, I have my doubts. It's clear that Wheelan's coming from a center-right perspective, while to the extent I think reform's possible, I'm coming from the center-left. (I have my days when I'm simply off the chart of available political options in the US; that part of me is irrelevant to Wheelan's concerns.)
He offers a couple of case studies of how the centrist party would deal with contentious issues: abortion and gun control. In both cases, he argues that it's possible to come up with a rational set of policies which reflect individual freedom--abortion would be legal, guns would be legal--while encouraging public policies which reduce the number of abortions (increased access to contraceptives, eliminating economic incentives for having children one can't support) and demanding responsibility from gun owners (registration and ownership tracking). As he says, these won't please everybody, but they would take secondary issues out of the center of our political debate and force/allow us to deal with issues such as how to incorporate long-term costs (for policies such as security and environmental protection) into the market system.
This isn't a perfect book, but it's made me think. And at the end, I'm convinced that if I could sit down with Wheelan and raise the concerns and issues the book doesn't deal with, we'd have a good conversation.
June 29, 2016
Charles Wheelan's Centrist Manifesto makes the case that the Democrat and Republican parties have some good core principles. For example, the Democrat Party supports the poor and underprivileged and knows that good government can make a good economy, and the Republican Party promotes limited government when individuals can take care of themselves and the importance of free markets. However, too often the people elected into office for these parties represent, quite literally, the extreme ends of the political spectrum and do not bring many of these core principles to bare on real public policy issues. Wheelan proposes an alternative: We take the best principles from the Democrat and Republican Party and form a new party, the Centrist Party.
The Centrist Party believes the following core principles. The United States and its citizens should
The Centrist Party believes the following core principles. The United States and its citizens should
1. Let government do what individuals and free markets cannot do. This includes creating mechanisms that regulate market transactions as with the subprime housing mortgage crisis, making it near to impossible for companies to package and sell such risky loans and for individuals to get those kinds of loans.Wheelan has a strategy for how a Centrist Party could actually be formed and influence politics. Since there are a number of US senators already who regard themselves as moderates in their parties or as independents, the real aim to make a difference should be in trying to elect people to the US Senate as Centrists. If they are elected within any given state, and say five Centrist become Senators, they could effectively make it impossible for the Democrat and Republican parties to press and pass legislation that does not take account of more moderate voices.
2. Let individuals and free markets do what government can't or shouldn't do. This means letting fully grown persons decide how they want to live their lives and make certain choices they would like to make provided they are not causing harm to anyone else.
3. Promote wealth and productivity through markets, free trade, educated citizens, a sound infrastructure, reformed tax system, and better labor relations.
4. Act in ways that respect the environment in the long term. Not taking care of environmental problems now is essentially passing the bill on to future generations and asking them to pay for it.
5. Create and promote a real social security program that would provide safety to citizens who for bad luck in life are unable to provide for themselves, temporarily or permanently. Hard times are a part of life, and there is no reason why anyone should have to be poor in such a prosperous country. There should be attempts made for real equality of opportunity regarding access to institutions and there should be allowance made for people in situations where we have to acknowledge that bad luck could have been the cause of someone's hardships and not necessarily a problem of individual responsibility.
6. Reform government spending. And this is all spending, spending on an inefficient health and medical system, spending on wars, and so on.
7. Be involved in better international organizations that deal with international problems of our day such as slavery (human trafficking) and terrorism.
July 15, 2016
I was a litte nervous reading a book with such an ambitious agenda but was pleasantly surprised with how responsible the author was. The book details our current divided political climate and talks about how the majority of the voting population is at the center of the political divide and what policies are sensible.
I enjoyed that the author was not an apologist on either side but truly understood the compromises it takes to do good politics. This book is a short read and I recommend it to anyone.
I enjoyed that the author was not an apologist on either side but truly understood the compromises it takes to do good politics. This book is a short read and I recommend it to anyone.
January 5, 2022
I don’t know why it took me 8 years to finish this after starting it - it’s a super quick read and would have been far more relevant in 2013. Unfortunately, things have gone even more of the rails…with even the possibility of Roe being overturned now being actually probable.
April 23, 2013
I don't agree with every position in this Manifesto, and I doubt the "control the Senate" plan could work unless it reduced the Republican bloc to less than 40 senators. That said, I think it's generally a solid idea that's better than what we have now. I only wish My home state wasn't so overwhelmingly Republican Red, so a party this sensible could gain a foothold here.
The Centrists are kind of the pragmatic version of the Libertarian Party, in that they endorse several positions held by both parties. Both realize that the third party audience is socially liberal and fiscally conservative (or, as I prefer, fiscally responsible), so many of their positions look alike in appealing to that orphaned group. Where they differ is that the Centrists emerge from a common middle, where the Libertarians are extremists who think neither party's radical enough. The biggest obvious difference is over the social safety net; the Libertarians want to discard it, and the Centrists want to fix it.
A few years ago, I labeled myself a Libertarian. Now I'm realizing that I was basically a Centrist all along.
As I said at the start, I don't agree with everything here. I think the income inequality problem needs more attention than the Centrist platform gives it, for instance. However, I generally like these ideas and want to subscribe to their newsletter.
The Centrists are kind of the pragmatic version of the Libertarian Party, in that they endorse several positions held by both parties. Both realize that the third party audience is socially liberal and fiscally conservative (or, as I prefer, fiscally responsible), so many of their positions look alike in appealing to that orphaned group. Where they differ is that the Centrists emerge from a common middle, where the Libertarians are extremists who think neither party's radical enough. The biggest obvious difference is over the social safety net; the Libertarians want to discard it, and the Centrists want to fix it.
A few years ago, I labeled myself a Libertarian. Now I'm realizing that I was basically a Centrist all along.
As I said at the start, I don't agree with everything here. I think the income inequality problem needs more attention than the Centrist platform gives it, for instance. However, I generally like these ideas and want to subscribe to their newsletter.
November 29, 2013
This (very short and easy) book makes me interested in politics again. He suggests a third party;--the Centrist Party--which takes the best philosophies and policies from both the Republicans and Democrats to create a middle party that could change Washington's gridlock. I want to believe.
June 26, 2018
This book is great! I’m not big into politics and the only reason I started reading this book was because I’ve loved the other books by Charles Wheelan.
I love that the main premise behind these ideas is compromise - taking the best of each party and throwing out the stuff on the extremes. It’s cutting out the rhetoric and thinking about policies logically and sensibly.
I love that the main premise behind these ideas is compromise - taking the best of each party and throwing out the stuff on the extremes. It’s cutting out the rhetoric and thinking about policies logically and sensibly.
March 4, 2021
While I agreed with the point of being pragmatic to the mission! However, I don’t 100% agreed with everything in the book. I wished the author would be more focused on hard questions, types of approach, and the meaning of policy victory. It would help to expand the understanding of what it is like to be a pragmatic leader. At the same time, how can we as readers put our biases aside and pursue the endgames? The book gave a lot of light touches. That’s why I gave it three stars...
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July 7, 2022This is a very short book outlining the principles, objectives, and strategy of the so-called Centrist Party, rebranded these days at UniteAmerica.org. I think the organization has adapted some of its strategy since the writing of this book, too. Still, I really like the way Charles Wheelan thinks when it comes to fixing the two-party system in America and the extremism it breeds. This has re-motivated me to potentially get involved in this organization... if I ever have the time :P
April 17, 2018
I signed up on the "Unite America" website after hearing about the campaign, and they sent this book over for free. The reason I signed up is because I saw a Gallup Poll that showed the majority of American's are independents, rather than either Democrats or Republicans. This poll was important because it confirmed a lot of what I suspected during the election: Most people aren't completely partisan or rigid, rather, the loudest people on either side simply get more attention that.
As far as manifesto's go, it's pretty reasonable. The basic idea is that if a 3rd party wins enough Senate seats, then they can gear both parties towards compromises on issues. For example, on Immigration, most American's want the Dreamer's to stay, but also make sure that the border security doesn't let people in. So why can't this trivial compromise happen? I have no idea, but I guess if we had a Centrist party controlling the swing votes, they could push both parties towards the middle.
The only thing I worry about is the "the answer's always in the middle" fallacy. While this reasoning may be true, it's not obvious that across situations, both sides have reasonable things to say. The republicans could be dead wrong on some things, and democrats on others. Naively stating that "the answer is in the middle" could remove the necessary thinking required on each topic. However, I am sure the author would agree with this, he seemed like a very reasonable person.
Overall, it's a great short read, and it would be nice to see the party take off. I don't really see why a third party couldn't win the election, and this provides a clear path.
As far as manifesto's go, it's pretty reasonable. The basic idea is that if a 3rd party wins enough Senate seats, then they can gear both parties towards compromises on issues. For example, on Immigration, most American's want the Dreamer's to stay, but also make sure that the border security doesn't let people in. So why can't this trivial compromise happen? I have no idea, but I guess if we had a Centrist party controlling the swing votes, they could push both parties towards the middle.
The only thing I worry about is the "the answer's always in the middle" fallacy. While this reasoning may be true, it's not obvious that across situations, both sides have reasonable things to say. The republicans could be dead wrong on some things, and democrats on others. Naively stating that "the answer is in the middle" could remove the necessary thinking required on each topic. However, I am sure the author would agree with this, he seemed like a very reasonable person.
Overall, it's a great short read, and it would be nice to see the party take off. I don't really see why a third party couldn't win the election, and this provides a clear path.
January 6, 2022
I got about halfway through when it occurred to me to check the date of publication because the author hadn’t even mentioned Trump yet and seemed to focus a lot on 2012. That was on me, lol. This was a good, quick read, and as a centrist I agreed with most of it. Reading it in 2022–and finishing it on the anniversary of last year’s horrific insurrection, it feels like a depressing warning/something that would never be. This book was far more relevant when it came out, and until probably 2015. The political landscape has changed potentially irreparably since then, and I think it would be cool if the author published another book now to address all those changes and how/whether a centrist revolution would be feasible.
January 31, 2017
Sane and sensible
I don't agree with everything said here. I think Wheelan oversimplifies some very serious problems. And I do wonder what impact Trump's election and what appears to be a new permanent state of chaos has or will do to the political center. But as someone who has long occupied a despised center right position, diminished by tea party Republicans as namby pamby and liberals as part of the problem, not the solution, I find a lot here to rally behind. I encourage anyone who occupies this center ground to read this book, think about the possibilities and get involved.
I don't agree with everything said here. I think Wheelan oversimplifies some very serious problems. And I do wonder what impact Trump's election and what appears to be a new permanent state of chaos has or will do to the political center. But as someone who has long occupied a despised center right position, diminished by tea party Republicans as namby pamby and liberals as part of the problem, not the solution, I find a lot here to rally behind. I encourage anyone who occupies this center ground to read this book, think about the possibilities and get involved.
June 29, 2021
Well written and easy to understand book on bridging the gap between the ever-widening differences between Republicans and Democrats. Looks at a myriad of subjects and how one can keep from succumbing to the extremes of both parties. My new favorite go-to political tome.
March 26, 2017
I am very taken by the ideals and process proposed. I have to dig deeper, but this might work.
August 20, 2017
I recently heard about the Centrist Project on the Michael Smerconish radio program on SiriusXM POTUS channel. This has really resonated with me. I have been an independent since the parties have dug in years ago and seem not willing to compromise on anything but the most obvious matters affecting our country. I am also a self-described moderate in search of the few moderates from either party that will seek to govern from the center. I think I have found a new home.
The Centrist Project (or party) seeks to begin the process of giving voice to the moderates by electing a few Senators who will govern as centrists. If neither party has a majority in the Senate, the centrists could be the swing votes on legislation that would (hopefully) force both sides to seek the compromises that I feel this country needs. It's a strategy that just might work as the book notes that many states (including my home state of Ohio) have both a D and an R representing them in the senate as well as other states with governors and senators from different parties. I think the time for this concept is now.
The book was written in 2013 and, while a lot has happened since then, the words all fit today's struggle where there are few voices of moderation and those few voices still belong to parties that have more extreme views. The book covers the concept noted above as well as the positions that centrists would (likely) take on many issues that divide the country. Extra attention is paid to abortion and gun control and both approaches are well-reasoned, practical and fit with my overall views.
While not a great work of writing, this book is clear and concise and outlines what I hope will be the future of politics in the USA. Whether you agree or not, I recommend this for anyone who is not satisfied with the way things are in politics today (which should be about 90% of you).
The Centrist Project (or party) seeks to begin the process of giving voice to the moderates by electing a few Senators who will govern as centrists. If neither party has a majority in the Senate, the centrists could be the swing votes on legislation that would (hopefully) force both sides to seek the compromises that I feel this country needs. It's a strategy that just might work as the book notes that many states (including my home state of Ohio) have both a D and an R representing them in the senate as well as other states with governors and senators from different parties. I think the time for this concept is now.
The book was written in 2013 and, while a lot has happened since then, the words all fit today's struggle where there are few voices of moderation and those few voices still belong to parties that have more extreme views. The book covers the concept noted above as well as the positions that centrists would (likely) take on many issues that divide the country. Extra attention is paid to abortion and gun control and both approaches are well-reasoned, practical and fit with my overall views.
While not a great work of writing, this book is clear and concise and outlines what I hope will be the future of politics in the USA. Whether you agree or not, I recommend this for anyone who is not satisfied with the way things are in politics today (which should be about 90% of you).
September 1, 2017
I'm sure that I'd be mocked mercilessly in some circles for having read this book and loved it. Fair enough.
Still, I'd recommend it to anyone who is open-minded enough to read it and think the author's arguments through seriously. I don't have enough background on some of the issues Wheelan touches on to know for sure if I agree with every point that he makes (although I do think I know enough to recognize that his arguments seem reasonable) but I identify pretty strongly with his core message that political polarization is holding us back, that doubling down on our most extreme views and dismissing the legitimacy of other points of view is far less productive than searching for common ground across the political spectrum in order to improve our lives through pragmatic policy.
That said, I'm not sold on his argument that a 3rd centrist party is at all feasible and wouldn't merely divert necessary votes away from sensible politicians and into the hands of the Donald Trump's of the world (but perhaps Wheelan isn't actually serious in proposing it) Whatever the case, I'm with it in theory.
Still, I'd recommend it to anyone who is open-minded enough to read it and think the author's arguments through seriously. I don't have enough background on some of the issues Wheelan touches on to know for sure if I agree with every point that he makes (although I do think I know enough to recognize that his arguments seem reasonable) but I identify pretty strongly with his core message that political polarization is holding us back, that doubling down on our most extreme views and dismissing the legitimacy of other points of view is far less productive than searching for common ground across the political spectrum in order to improve our lives through pragmatic policy.
That said, I'm not sold on his argument that a 3rd centrist party is at all feasible and wouldn't merely divert necessary votes away from sensible politicians and into the hands of the Donald Trump's of the world (but perhaps Wheelan isn't actually serious in proposing it) Whatever the case, I'm with it in theory.
November 9, 2017
I read Naked Statistics for learning, which led to Naked Economics for fun (majored in Econ) which led to the Centrist Manifesto out of curiosity. I really and truly hope Wheelan succeeds at his plan to control the Senate through the Centrist 3rd party. Basically I vote like an economist votes, which is to say towards optimal economic and social outcomes. That is basically what this platform is and promotes and I think as long as it is taught in a way that the masses can understand then the party can succeed and should succeed. I'm so tired of half-truth ideologies driving the 2 parties that we have. Common sense is actually in the middle and the fastest (and largest at 41%) growing demographic of voters are sitting there waiting to be scooped up by a party that uses its brain instead of pandering to people's instincts and biases.
June 4, 2017
Whelan does a reasonable job of laying out the ideological strengths and weaknesses of both major American political parties, as well as the pitfalls of our electoral system that have led to our current paralyzing partisanship and increasing radicalization. However his writing is not particularly insightful or revelatory.
The "Manifesto" portion of the book in which Whelan calls for the creation of a linchpin centrist party borrowing from the best of both Republican and Democratic ideology is compelling but ultimately unlikely to succeed due to the paradoxical fact that his desired centrist constituency is historically the least motivated and mobilize-able segment of the American electorate.
The "Manifesto" portion of the book in which Whelan calls for the creation of a linchpin centrist party borrowing from the best of both Republican and Democratic ideology is compelling but ultimately unlikely to succeed due to the paradoxical fact that his desired centrist constituency is historically the least motivated and mobilize-able segment of the American electorate.
January 13, 2019
This is a short and sweet book about forming a moderate party.
While written in 2013 it's obviously incredibly relevant today and the examples given of two party extremism haven't aged particularly well given the recent political climate.
I was a bit disappointed on the chapter about abortion and how that is something people won't ever agree on in a two-party system and the solution is to then leave it alone and given the time this book was written intersectionality isn't something that was really considered, but overall it's an interesting look at why we should have a more moderate party.
While written in 2013 it's obviously incredibly relevant today and the examples given of two party extremism haven't aged particularly well given the recent political climate.
I was a bit disappointed on the chapter about abortion and how that is something people won't ever agree on in a two-party system and the solution is to then leave it alone and given the time this book was written intersectionality isn't something that was really considered, but overall it's an interesting look at why we should have a more moderate party.
July 5, 2018
Strangely, not quite as engaging as "Naked Economics" by the same author (who'd have thought a book on economics could be engaging?), but very good. A clear, rational presentation of what centrists are really all about and a strategy, if maybe an optimistic one, to increase the influence of moderates in the US government.
Sadly, I found most of the links presented to be either broken or pointing at sites that appear to be neglected now. I guess moderation really is dying.
Sadly, I found most of the links presented to be either broken or pointing at sites that appear to be neglected now. I guess moderation really is dying.
September 7, 2019
I love the book, because I love third parties and independents. The Centrist Party presents a strategy that can revolutionize America. I don't agree with everything in this book (for example, I love labor unions), but I appreciate the tone. I love how this book advances what some call "radical centrism" as this philosophy beats most. This call to arms offers a synthesis that can save our nation and take us to the next level.
Read
September 6, 2018I did not read this book myself, so it would be foolish to give it a star rating. However, a friend of mine wrote a quite thorough and humorous review which can be found on my blog--and which I feel deserves to be linked to as a 'review' on goodreads:
https://geotrickster.com/2018/09/06/t...
https://geotrickster.com/2018/09/06/t...
October 13, 2018
Thank you Dr. Wheelan. I’m all in. Let’s take the guiding principles that have been lost by both the Republicans and the Democrats and leave the Extremists that have been pandered to for primaries in this landscape. Let’s grab hold of the swing in the Senate and build from there. We now have a path.
June 13, 2019
Imagine supporting "reasonable" and "fact-based" politics while simultaneously believing that there is a Constitutional right to bear arms or that guns are anything but a severe public health crisis... a collection of Blue Dog Democrat platitudes that is woefully out-of-date for only being six years old. Nevertheless there is something kind of admirable about this?
August 18, 2020
Wheelan authored one of my favorite economic books I've ever read (Naked Economics). I love his writing style and his examples are intuitive and sensible.
I absolutely loved this book. This book is small and is a relief to the current landscape of political polarization and bombardment of extreme positions. It approaches political issues one way: pragmatically.
I absolutely loved this book. This book is small and is a relief to the current landscape of political polarization and bombardment of extreme positions. It approaches political issues one way: pragmatically.
September 5, 2021
Great reminder that reasonable people can disagree about reasonable things.
Also a great reminder that the most extreme parts of a group are typically not the spokespeople for that group.
And a great reminder that we need some big changes to the two-party system that caters to the most extreme positions are rewarded for “sticking to to” the opposing party.
Also a great reminder that the most extreme parts of a group are typically not the spokespeople for that group.
And a great reminder that we need some big changes to the two-party system that caters to the most extreme positions are rewarded for “sticking to to” the opposing party.
February 11, 2023
I purchased a signed copy of this book nine years ago @ a DC Book Festival. It’s a Cliff’s Notes version of every bipartisan book out there… An easy, fast and fun read; however, nine years later the irony proves true: Real Politics (w/ a capital ‘R’ & ‘P’) is never those things. Back to the classroom!
November 19, 2017
Great book. If you’ve ever been frustrated by your limited options in politics, ever felt like you aren’t being represented well in Congress, or ever felt helpless to affect change - this is the book for you!
May 19, 2017
Short and brief, a quick introduction to why we need to break the partisan duopoly in America and elect pragmatic centrists to office
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