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      huck gutman

      'Yes, We Can' Progressivism

      'Yes, We Can' Progressivism

      Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are both progressives, but they draw on different traditions of progressive reform.

      Harry Boyte
      Feb 19, 2016

      Though it is little noted in discussions of this year's election, Senator Bernie Sanders's campaign has brought back the essential message of then-Senator Barack Obama's "Yes We Can" campaign of 2008. The core of that message is the word "we," in contrast with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's frequent use of "I." However this year's election turns out, the idea that the people -- not politicians -- are the most fundamental driver of change is back in the public discussion.

      The contrast between "we" and "I" has old roots in the progressive tradition. Debates about "socialism" are a diversion -- both Sanders and Clinton have legitimate claims to be progressive. But they represent different strands of the progressive tradition: the expert tradition and the populist tradition.

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      Opinion

      An Administration Ruled by Fear

      The Psychology of Washington

      Huck Gutman
      Jun 11, 2013

      The protagonist of a long series of detective novels, the admirable Inspector Maigret, would see a mystery at the heart of what goes on in America. How is it that violence barely disturbs us, yet we protect ourselves against its manifestation by a massive state apparatus dedicated to searching through the lives of ordinary Americans?

      For those who follow politics, the mystery can be posed in personal terms. How is it that a senator who opposed the widespread gathering of telephone records of American citizens can, as president, approve the continuation and expansion of just such a program?

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      Opinion

      A Modest Step Toward Fixing Our Health Care System

      Huck Gutman
      Jul 27, 2006

      Almost unnoticed last week, a federal judge ruled that a recent Maryland statute requiring Wal-Mart to spend more on health care was invalid under federal law.

      The state required, through its Fair Share Health Care Fund Act, any employer with more than 10,000 Maryland employees to spend at least 8 percent of its payroll on worker health care. An employer who spent less would be obliged to pay the difference in taxes to the state. That money would be dedicated to a state medical assistance program.

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      Opinion
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