How Democrats could win the public debate on crime

The 2022 midterms are right around the corner, and Democrats are "stalling" on the chance to do "something electorally and civically useful about crime" with their majority, argues Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley. Conflating the issue with social spending, however, could help.
In general, the left has become increasingly convinced that the "correct political play" is to spend government money to create economic growth, per Mathis-Lilley. Separately, despite appearing "split" as to which political party better handles crime, Americans are likely to side with their preferred caucus on the issue, regardless of messaging. These two truths combined suggest that Democrats have little incentive to hedge on the issue of crime (which they have before, for fear that calls to "defund the police" will embolden Republicans) and every reason to attack the problem's root causes by increasing social spending, something a vast majority of Americans seem to support, Mathis-Lilley notes while citing a The Washington Post/ABC News poll. Essentially, when the conversation shifts from "defunding the police" to "doing other things in high-crime areas" as well, "support goes up significantly."
However, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) are busy delaying Democrats' latest foray into social spending — President Biden's "human infrastructure" plan — by focusing entirely on a bipartisan physical infrastructure deal with Republicans that reject corporate tax hikes popular among Democratic voters, Mathis-Lilley argues. In doing so, the left is, in a "roundabout way," ignoring the actual concerns of the party and potentially turning its back on the opportunity to effect change before 2022.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
'Alaska has the resources, but America needs the will'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nvidia hits $4 trillion milestone
Speed Read The success of the chipmaker has been buoyed by demand for artificial intelligence
-
X CEO Yaccarino quits after two years
Speed Read Elon Musk hired Linda Yaccarino to run X in 2023
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska