The hottest Progressivism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

Maybe It’s Bad That Recent Progressive Ideas On Race Are So Compatible With White Nationalism

Singal-Minded • 1464 implied HN points • 16 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. The phrase "white culture" is often used but rarely defined clearly, so people struggle to explain what it actually means.
  2. Widely circulated progressive frameworks that list "white supremacy culture" traits treat common behaviors as part of a coherent white identity, and many organizations have adopted those lists.
  3. That adoption can backfire because it makes the idea of a coherent white identity seem real and gives critics an easy way to accuse progressives of validating the same categories white nationalists use.

Corporations aren't the reason your rent is too high

Noahpinion • 31176 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. High rent in desirable cities isn't mainly caused by corporations buying homes. The real issue is often local supply shortages and restrictive housing regulations.
  2. Claims about corporations like BlackRock driving up rents are often exaggerated. They own only a small fraction of the housing market and don't significantly affect rental prices.
  3. Corporate landlords can actually help lower housing costs by expanding rental supply, contrary to popular belief that they cause gentrification and higher rents.

Should Democrats go back to neoliberalism?

Noahpinion • 18529 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Democrats should reconsider their approach to the economy and think about combining past policies with new ideas for development. Focusing on practical solutions rather than ideological battles can help them respond better to today's challenges.
  2. Blaming grocery stores for high food prices is misplaced. Stronger attacks should be aimed at issues like tariffs, which have a real impact on prices for consumers.
  3. Having a government that can effectively manage and execute projects is important. Instead of relying on outside consultants, a capable bureaucracy can help tackle big problems like infrastructure and housing.

Zohran Mamdani's policies will (mostly) not bring abundance to NYC

Noahpinion • 20823 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Zohran Mamdani's economic policies might not help improve New York City as much as people hope. Some of his ideas could actually hurt the city's housing market.
  2. His plans include building more affordable housing and providing free child care, but there are concerns about their effectiveness and costs. It's important that the government can actually deliver on these promises.
  3. The focus on making government more efficient and achieving good outcomes is essential. Just saying you want better results isn't enough; real policies must back those words.

Yes, liberal hypocrisy has an actual face

Unreported Truths • 39 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. A Princeton history professor openly opposes Donald Trump and generally supports progressive ideas and science, though he admits limits to how progressive he is.
  2. He lives in a university-subsidized house on Edgehill Road and objects to new housing being built close to his home.
  3. Many see this as a clear case of liberal hypocrisy — backing broad progressive policies while fighting local development that would affect his own neighborhood — and others find the contrast ironic.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Progressives take their best shot at Abundance (but it falls short)

Noahpinion • 14588 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Critics of the book 'Abundance' often haven't read it and misunderstand its ideas. Instead of addressing the arguments, they focus on insulting the authors.
  2. The backlash against 'Abundance' seems to stem from its author Ezra Klein's influence rather than the book's actual content. Some progressives feel threatened by a shift in focus towards empowering the government.
  3. One critic, Sandeep Vaheesan, does engage with the book but misinterprets its core arguments. He points out that while 'Abundance' suggests empowering the government, it doesn't clearly outline the specific actions needed to achieve that.

Progressives Shouldn't Cut Income Taxes

JoeWrote • 39 implied HN points • 16 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Promising income tax cuts only reinforces the Republican idea that taxes are a burden and makes Democrats look weak. That dynamic can help Republicans win and ultimately hurt the working-class people progressives aim to help.
  2. Progressives should reframe taxes as a positive civic tool that pays for public services and a higher quality of life, and push for steadily rising, progressive tax brackets that ask more from those who earn more. This avoids treating taxes as something the average person should resent.
  3. Being honest about raising taxes to fund popular programs can work politically; clear, adult messaging about trade-offs builds trust and helps break the bipartisan neoliberal agreement that treats taxes as inherently bad.

Anti-anti-neoliberalism is also not enough

Noahpinion • 21059 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. The Democratic party is currently trying to find a strong message after a big election defeat. They need a clear economic policy to connect with voters.
  2. New progressive economics is gaining support, focusing on things like healthcare subsidies, strong union support, and taxes on wealthy individuals. However, it faces criticism for not being popular enough.
  3. Despite some successes, Biden's economic policies need adjustments. It's important to learn from his administration while also being open to new ideas outside of traditional economic approaches.

Political Psychology Links, 2/17/2026

In My Tribe • 136 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Conservatives should aim to cultivate a positive, hopeful intellectual vision as their central task. But people often take a perverse pleasure in hating and conflict, which makes combative, pessimistic narratives more popular than constructive ones.
  2. The rise of social justice or 'woke' ideas is tied to mass higher education and changing social values that see human nature as malleable, making large-scale social transformation and activism morally urgent. Those beliefs also operate as a status strategy, turning approved speech and identities into assets supported by media, education, and institutional networks, while simple economic explanations for the phenomenon look weaker.
  3. Behavior genetics shows most heritable psychological variation comes from many small-effect genes under purifying selection and mutation-selection balance. As a result, many individual differences are likely neutral or slightly maladaptive rather than being direct adaptive traits.

Democrats need to loudly reject progressive extremism

Noahpinion • 24823 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Democrats need to clearly distance themselves from the progressive activist movement. This is important because many voters still see them as too extreme.
  2. Public perception can heavily impact a political candidate's success. Even if a candidate shifts towards the center, voters might still label them based on past associations.
  3. Social media has shifted how people interact with politics, making it easier for extreme views to be noticed. Many people have had firsthand experiences with progressive activism, which shapes their opinions and voting behavior.

Biden's media problem

Slow Boring • 7173 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. The media landscape skews left due to demographics, influencing the coverage of political topics
  2. Media coverage focuses more on student loans than Medicare, impacting public perception of key policies
  3. Left-wing media's emphasis on negativity can hinder positive reporting on successful policies

On Liberalism, Cass Sunstein

The Common Reader • 1488 implied HN points • 13 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Liberalism is about individualism, which means every person matters, and a society is made up of people working together. It supports the idea that everyone should have the freedom to find their own happiness.
  2. Sunstein's book helps clarify modern liberalism and does not push a specific belief system. Instead, it offers a well-rounded view of how liberal thinkers approach different ideas.
  3. Liberalism is hopeful and adaptive, changing as people engage with it every day. It's a flexible idea that grows and evolves with society, unlike rigid belief systems.

AOC Is A Genocidal Con Artist

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 4912 implied HN points • 20 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. AOC voted to fund Israel even after saying it is committing genocide in Gaza. This contradiction has upset many of her supporters.
  2. The Iron Dome, which AOC supports, is argued to aid offensive actions rather than just protect civilians, leading to more violence.
  3. Some believe AOC is hindering the left's progress by supporting militarism and capitalism, rather than pushing for more peaceful and progressive solutions.

The Great Creator Reset

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 7106 implied HN points • 18 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. The shutdown of TikTok could lead to many creators losing their platforms overnight. This has a much larger impact than when Vine shut down a few years ago.
  2. TikTok has been a key space for progressive voices and activism. Its ban might shift the online conversation more towards conservative viewpoints, as many progressive creators will struggle to find similar support elsewhere.
  3. With TikTok gone, right-wing creators are likely to gain more visibility and influence on other platforms. This change could permanently alter the digital landscape and how people engage with different ideas.

What Is The AOC Doctrine?

JoeWrote • 76 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. The AOC doctrine collapses the wall between domestic and foreign policy. It says imperial practices abroad boomerang home and that a working-class, class-based internationalism is needed to block rising authoritarianism.
  2. It calls for shifting resources from military spending into domestic investments like health and science research, green energy, and stronger safety nets to strengthen national security and compete with rivals without escalating conflict.
  3. The approach has limits: there are gaps on policy specifics (e.g., Taiwan, how to apply Leahy laws), criticism for engaging establishment institutions, and questions about whether it tackles the deeper structural roots of global imperialism.

The Washington Post Bloodbath Shows The Essence of Being A Leftist Is Being Dismissed As Unserious for Being Correct Too Early

JoeWrote • 110 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Progressive critiques about concentrated corporate influence, U.S. imperialism, and authoritarian tendencies were often correct well before mainstream commentators admitted it.
  2. Mainstream media and centrist figures routinely dismissed these warnings as unserious, then later acknowledged the realities without crediting those who raised them.
  3. Public sentiment often supports humane immigration reform and skepticism of elite power, and recognizing those positions could be politically advantageous for established parties.

What just happened in San Francisco politics?

Noahpinion • 14235 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. San Francisco politics saw 'moderate' victories, focusing on results-oriented progressivism over performative leftism.
  2. The election revealed that voters want progressivism with tangible outcomes, emphasizing public safety, education, and housing.
  3. Popular theories include billionaire influence, San Francisco's real progressive nature, and the city's demand for effective governance.

#226: New York’s mayoral race is a parable

Maybe Baby • 2203 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. The New York mayoral race shows a clash between old political styles and new ideas. One candidate focuses on exciting, progressive policies while the other relies on name recognition despite a troubled past.
  2. Media often ignore or attack new candidates who propose bold changes, fearing they might disrupt the status quo. This highlights a pattern of sidelining progressive voices in politics.
  3. Supporting candidates with strong, hopeful visions can create a sense of community and empowerment. Engaging in political activism can make people feel part of something bigger and more meaningful.

Progressives Against Progress

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1627 implied HN points • 15 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Progressives used to focus on improving life for all people, but now they seem more concerned with the interests of wealthy urban professionals. This shift has made their original goals hard to recognize.
  2. Earlier progressivism centered on universal values, like fairness and equal access to opportunities for everyone, regardless of background. Now, those universal standards seem to have been replaced with more niche agendas.
  3. Many current progressive movements may not represent the average voter’s needs and concerns. This change is causing a disconnect between traditional progressive values and today’s political landscape.

Measuring Mamdani's Mistake

JoeWrote • 83 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Zohran Mamdani’s early mayoralty shows that a left-wing leader can win broad support and focus on day-to-day issues like affordability, but governing a big city forces hard compromises with the political establishment.
  2. His initial responses to recent NYPD shootings—slow public comment and a statement that praised officers—alienated his progressive base, and he has since shifted tone and pushed for non-police crisis responses like a Department of Community Safety.
  3. Being held accountable by his supporters has helped him correct mistakes (as with his Israel remarks), showing that the socialist left is learning how to govern and should expect growing pains while refining its approach.

My Kind of Conservatism

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 3075 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Politics today is heavily influenced by the voices and actions of young people online. Social media has shifted how we engage with culture and politics.
  2. There's a loss of hope for a return to traditional norms in politics. The current political landscape is driven more by tech influence than by the values of liberal democracy.
  3. Being a true conservative today means having a respect for the past and a sense of loss about changes happening in society. It's about nurturing values rather than obsessing over power.

Daniel Lurie Wants to Save San Francisco from Itself

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1126 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. San Francisco has tried many progressive ideas, like safe drug sites and reducing police funding, but these have led to negative outcomes like increased homelessness and crime.
  2. The city's new mayor, Daniel Lurie, is focused on reversing these trends and cleaning up the issues created by past policies.
  3. There's concern that other cities, like New York, may follow in San Francisco's footsteps with similar radical ideas, but many in San Francisco are watching closely to see the results.

How Academics Destroyed Academia

Daily Dreher • 1690 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🚌 Education Progressivism
  1. A Marxist humanities professor criticizes the impact of Left-wing academics on academia.
  2. Academia being dominated by the Left is seen as unjust and intolerant.
  3. Concerns are raised about the dangerous embrace of extremist ideologies and the potential consequences for society.

A Scarcity of Abundance

Bet On It • 935 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Housing can improve through deregulation, and it's already happening in places like California. This sparks hope for better access and affordability.
  2. Transportation and energy need big improvements too, but current efforts often focus too much on rules rather than building better infrastructure and supporting new energy projects.
  3. The book suggests that big government hasn't been effective, especially in places run by one party, and it might be more beneficial to focus on accountability and smarter use of funds.

"It's just so very, very small"

Letters from Fiddler's Greene • 982 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. The article discusses the dismissal of concerns about transgender issues by emphasizing the insignificance of certain anatomical aspects.
  2. There is a critique of progressive attitudes that avoid addressing serious issues by downplaying their significance.
  3. The text highlights the importance of taking responsibility for one's beliefs and decisions, even if they may seem small or insignificant at first glance.

Creating insular information bubbles

Not On Your Team, But Always Fair • 943 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Progressivism
  1. Narratives are about making meaning, not just facts, and protecting them from facts is crucial for them to continue to make meaning.
  2. Dysfunctional policy responses can suppress feedback and drive mainstream media narratives that may lack accountability.
  3. Internationalisation can reduce accountability in policy-making and contribute to undermining democratic systems across large populations.

The Right’s 1939 Project. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 769 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. There's a growing movement on the right that challenges America's role in World War II and the postwar world. This new group is trying to reshape how history is understood.
  2. Progressives today are facing criticism for straying from their original goals, which some believe are hurting meaningful progress.
  3. President Biden's use of an autopen to sign official documents is seen as a distraction from bigger issues his administration is facing.

The Mayor Who Wants to Save San Francisco from Itself. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 802 implied HN points • 26 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. San Francisco has a new mayor, Daniel Lurie, who plans to shift away from extreme progressive policies. He wants to focus on practical solutions to improve the city.
  2. In New York, a socialist named Zohran Mamdani has been elected as mayor, raising questions about the factors that led to his win. His victory reflects the hopes and concerns of his supporters.
  3. There are ongoing discussions about the impact of recent strikes on Iran's nuclear program. Many are trying to assess whether it was significantly harmed or just delayed.

I Am A True Progressive

Society & Standpoint • 1375 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Gender roles have evolved over time due to movements like feminism, allowing for more freedom of expression.
  2. Critical race theory reduces individuals to stereotypes based on race, contradicting the idea of individuality.
  3. Today's progressives seem to be moving away from valuing principles like due process and free speech.

Don't play 'Tower of Babel'

Disaffected Newsletter • 1518 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Many people who have changed their political views still deal with old emotional triggers. These triggers affect how they think and react to various situations.
  2. Using the same terms and language from old beliefs can undermine one's current views. It's important to recognize that language carries meaning and implications.
  3. Some new terms, like 'the unhoused' or 'sex work,' might seem harmless but can actually reinforce old beliefs and ideas. It's worth questioning the language we choose to use.

Memory-Holing "Wokeness"

American Dreaming • 339 implied HN points • 18 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Many people are unhappy with the extreme ideas from the 'woke' movement that dominated culture for years. They feel it led to a lot of conflict and division.
  2. There is a desire for acknowledgment and reflection on past mistakes from the left, rather than trying to erase or forget them. It's important to learn from the past to avoid repeating it.
  3. The accountability needed includes admitting when they were wrong and committing to doing better in the future, rather than just moving forward without change.

Spare the rod and spoil the child

Disaffected Newsletter • 839 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. There are serious problems in modern parenting that may lead to bad behavior in kids, like increased violence and selfishness. It's important for parents to take their roles seriously to prevent these issues.
  2. A Texas representative caused quite a scene during a government hearing, showing how politics can be influenced by personal emotions and outbursts. This suggests a need for better decorum in serious discussions.
  3. Some young people are seeking support in places that align with their identities, like Vermont, which provides financial help for gender transition. This highlights how societal acceptance and support can impact individual choices.

Liberals v. Progressives

Castalia • 599 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. Liberals believe the world has room for improvement but is mostly okay, while progressives feel everything is terrible and getting worse.
  2. Liberals see violence as an anomaly to be handled through legal systems, while progressives view it as a result of power imbalances that need moral commitment to fix.
  3. Liberals think progress is slow but happening, while progressives focus solely on social justice and need major changes to address past wrongs.

Let's Take AOC's Foreign Policy Vision Seriously

I Might Be Wrong • 9 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. She’s pitching an alternate foreign policy that centers working people and presented that vision at international forums like the Munich Security Conference.
  2. A few public gaffes — mixups about Taiwan, Venezuela, and trans-/trans-Atlantic wording — have dominated coverage and distracted from her substantive points.
  3. Her team and supporters want people to look past the slip-ups and engage seriously with the policy proposals she’s putting forward, including campaign-released clips and panels.

We are all meaner and more conservative than we were 10 years ago

White Hot Harlots • 139 implied HN points • 18 Apr 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. People are becoming more mean-spirited and conservative compared to a decade ago.
  2. In the realm of education, conflicts are arising due to the prioritization of emotional impact over intent and context.
  3. The push towards hyper-awareness and sensitivity can potentially restrict meaningful discussions and lead to increased divisiveness in society.

Social Learning Links, 5/31/2025

In My Tribe • 288 implied HN points • 31 May 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism
  1. TikTok boosts right-wing populism by making emotional content easily shareable and bypassing critical thinking. This makes it very appealing and dangerous as a social media platform.
  2. It's important for individuals to reflect on their beliefs, and to be open to the idea that they might be wrong sometimes. This kind of self-examination can help improve understanding and reduce defensiveness.
  3. The power of the presidency has grown partly because Congress has given up its authority. This shift means that the executive branch now has more control, which raises concerns about the balance of power in government.