Nick Licata

Nick Licata, was a 5 term Seattle City Councilmember, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials. Author of Becoming a Citizen Activist. http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/changemakers/ Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Urban Politics http://www.becomingacitizenactivist.org/

Why Trump Won: The Economy, The Economy, The Economy.

 Inflation was a scourge that hurt Harris as it did for two previous presidents, Ford and Carter, who lost after serving one term each due to significant inflation.

If Trump Loses, a Plan to Overturn

Trump’s law firms don’t need to win their lawsuits; they only need the court to kick the final decision over to the state legislature.

How Kamala Harris Could Win Back Seniors

Harris’s language appeals to Democrats. They want somebody to fight Trump. Someone who will call out how he is attacking SSI and helping billionaires. But for those not steeped in political party identification, it sounds like vague promises. 

Case Studies: How Democracies Become Overwhelmed by Strongmen

Since 2000, two functional democracies have fallen under authoritarian rule. It wasn’t through insurrections but when authoritarian governmental laws accumulated incrementally. Is America experiencing that trend? Consider how Venezuela and...

How Authoritarianism Becomes Appealing (For Some)

What endangers our democracy is that many citizens see the federal bureaucracy as currently or potentially restricting their freedoms. 

Why Selecting Tim Walz Was Smart

Josh Shapiro may have won Pennsylvania for Harris, and he still may, but Tim Walz can help carry those three Great Lake states much better than Shapiro. 

Trump/Vance Playbook: How they Attack Kamala Harris

The Republican party now faces a new challenge—a surge in enthusiasm for a Democratic candidate that did not exist with Biden.

What Happens Now: Republicans Try to Invalidate Harris

Mike Johnson tried another tactic on the day of Biden’s announcement. He said Biden must resign immediately. He conflated not running for president with not being fit to serve as president and then continued the narrative that the Democrats should not be allowed to choose someone other than Biden. 

The Ultimate Leadership: The Path for Biden is Clear

Biden can avoid a brokered convention by shifting his focus from being the presidential candidate to being the ultimate negotiator who successfully brings people together. 

Are Libertarians Really in Play?

If Trump is elected, the Libertarian Party’s future independence from either major party may vanish and could become more subservient to the Republican’s right-wing agenda.

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