What the ALP can learn from the US Democrats                                                                                             
by Ben Raybin

            Michael Daley and Ben Raybin

Last spring I had the privilege of living in Australia while I studied for a semester at the University of NSW. In the United States, I study political science at the University of Chicago and avidly follow the political scene, so I was eager to pick up on current events while abroad. I was surprised to find that our Democratic Party is in a remarkably similar position to the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Despite a roughly equal voter population, the Liberals and the Republicans enjoy control of both houses of the legislature, with Howard and Bush firmly in power. The following are a few strategies I think the ALP would be wise to borrow from the Democrats, and a few they should seek to avoid.

You can’t fix what you can’t control:

Since the government controls the Senate in Canberra, they can do essentially as they wish. So when people  are inevitably unhappy with what is happening, the ALP can make sure all the blame falls on the Coalition. Once a few years have passed, any shortcomings or bad statistics can be attributed solely to the government. If they try to offer proposals at election time, they can be criticized for not having already implemented them. The Coalition has undertaken a heavy burden from their success and can no longer reasonably attribute any shortcomings to the opposition. The ALP should distance itself from unpopular or tough decisions on issues such as the war or immigration that never seem to have a right answer, and slowly but surely the government will run itself into the ground. As discontent builds, the ALP will be in a good position if they can portray themselves as the party that had been desperately trying to save the people from whatever mischief has befallen the nation. 

Pick your battles:

An easy strategy I have seen from the Republicans and the Coalition is to categorically dismiss any specific criticism by claiming they are criticized for everything. A party will get little support if it comes off looking like a sore loser that refuses to accept anything the party in control does. There are surely many issues the ALP should fight to the death, but these struggles will be compromised if they also try to protest too hard on smaller points, especially those that they have little chance of winning. The Democrats lost a lot of points in the eyes of many people for trying to procedurally block the nomination of new Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito through a filibuster instead of simply voting against him, even after it was clear the filibuster would fail. Politics is not always a zero sum game; it is often helpful to let some matters slide and be seen as agreeable.

Distinguish yourself:

In contrast to the previous point, there are times when the opposition should resist acquiescing in policies that seem politically easier to support. One of the complaints about John Kerry’s failed 2004 presidential campaign is that his foreign policy often seemed remarkably similar to that of Bush. It may be hard to go against national security issues and be labeled “soft” on terror or unsupportive of the military, but voters won’t want to switch horses midstream if the horses are identical. If the ALP wants to replace the Coalition, it needs to present itself as a clear alternative (and hopefully a better one).

Negative association:

Normally, a candidate for lower office is thrilled to get visible support from higher government officials. Television commercials and public appearances get a lot more attention if there is someone more important there. However, as Bush’s approval ratings drop, Republican candidates have increasingly tried to avoid his “help.” Attacking a Republican for being too close to the President, personally or ideologically, can be very effective. In Australia, where voting against party lines like Senator Barnaby Joyce seems to be the exception rather than expected as it is in America, voters who are unfavorable towards the prime minister need to be reminded that a vote for a Liberal or a National is a vote for Howard. If my observation was correct that even supporters of Howard usually hate Bush, a picture of a member of the Bush administration and an Australian politician shaking hands, or even in the same room, may be enough to tank his candidacy.

A sense of healthy government:

Constitutional framers went through a great deal of effort trying to balance a functioning government with checks and balances to prevent abuses in power. With the current situation, however, legislation is determined overwhelmingly by a few people at the head of Republican and Liberal leadership. Regardless of the legitimacy or worthiness of a bill, the near guarantee that a majority of both houses will rubber stamp any proposal a minister submits is not in line with the spirit of our laws. Voters may be encouraged to vote against the Coalition not as punishment but to restore political limits that they believe ought to reasonably exist.

Keep a united front:

Opposing the status quo is a formidable challenge. The government has a huge advantage in advertising its agenda because it controls the bureaucracy and has more public outlets. I observed a very lopsided fight in the WorkChoices laws because of the gratuitous, taxpayer funded media blitz promoting it. Divided, there is no way the ALP can compete. However, the opposition has a huge edge over the Democrats when it comes to unity; America has no equivalent of a shadow ministry. Between a former president, two recently failed presidential candidates, a party chairman, leaders of both houses, and a slew of other leading personalities, there is no official national figurehead for the party or even a presumed one. The ALP should make sure it has the right people at the top and follow them loyally. This will enable them to better present the party as a clear alternative with a specific agenda.

Twenty-five years ago it was generally believed the Democrats would never lose control of the U.S. House of Representatives. We now know this claim could not have been further from the truth. Make no mistake, the Democrats and the ALP will regain control of their respective governments. How long it takes is up to them.

Ben welcomes your feedback. His email address is: braybin@uchicago.edu