The Radical Liberal Response | Andy Craig

In this episode of the Project Liberal podcast, hosts Max Marty and Tyler Harris engage in an illuminating conversation with Andy Craig, Fellow at the Institute for Humane Studies. Following his recent piece in The Unpopulist, Andy makes a compelling case for a more strident, unapologetic liberalism in response to America's current illiberal trajectory. The discussion explores how liberalism has historically been a radical force for change—from early democracy movements to civil rights—and how it must reclaim this bold reformist tradition to counter rising authoritarianism.  

Topics Discussed:  

• Why liberalism needs to move beyond a stale defense of the status quo and reclaim its radical reformist tradition  
• How both centrist establishment Democrats and the progressive left wing have failed to offer compelling liberal alternatives  
• The housing crisis and immigration reform as potential rallying points for a revitalized liberalism  
• The breakdown of democratic norms and the normalization of political violence in American politics  
• The importance of reclaiming free speech as a core liberal value Electoral reform and the case for proportional representation to improve American democracy  
• The strategic necessity of thinking long-term about liberal institutional reforms  

The conversation delves into how liberalism finds itself in an oppositional space against an increasingly illiberal administration, and why Democrats need to emphasize the constitutional crisis at hand rather than engaging in politics as usual. Andy argues that a radical liberal alternative—distinct from both centrism and democratic socialism—offers the most viable path forward for those committed to defending constitutional democracy and individual liberty.  

• A Liberalism Without Fear or Apology: https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/a-liberalism-without-apology-or-fear
• Follow Andy Craig: https://theunpopulist.net/author/andy-craig 
• Learn more about the Institute for Humane Studies: https://theihs.org/ 
• Project Liberal: https://projectliberal.org/