Dear Lincoln Loyal,
Let democracy do its job.
Every time a bold new idea enters the political arena, the instinct from party establishments and cautious commentators is often the same: “It’s too radical. It’s too risky. Tone it down.”
We fight progressive visionaries before their ideas even have a chance to take root. But when you step back and look at how real progress has always happened in America, that fear misunderstands the foundational design of our constitutional republic.
At its core, federalism in American government is the constitutional system that divides political power between the national federal government and individual state governments. Its core role is to balance national unity with regional diversity, prevent the abuse of power by spreading authority across different levels, and serve as a system of checks and balances to protect individual liberty.
Rather than concentrating all decision-making in one distant capital, federalism creates what Justice Louis Brandeis famously called the “laboratories of democracy.” The structural beauty of federalism is that national consensus doesn’t happen overnight in Washington, D.C. It starts locally. A city or a state tests an innovative policy, proves it works for working families, and creates a blueprint that the rest of the country can watch, refine, and eventually adopt.
Right now, across vastly different corners of the country, we are watching this play out in real time:
In Michigan: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has consistently demonstrated how bold, progressive public health policies—from medical debt relief programs to expanding universal healthcare access—can deliver tangible results and energize working-class voters.
In Texas: James Talarico is proving that a principled progressive message focused on public education funding, healthcare affordability, and corporate accountability can resonate strongly in the American South.
In New York: Zohran Mamdani has brought an unyielding focus to urban affordability—fighting for rent stabilization, public transit equity, and worker protections, showing how municipal governance can directly alleviate the cost-of-living crisis.
Instead of pushing back out of fear, we should be cheering these experiments on. History proves that almost every major structural right and societal protection we take for granted today started as a “radical” state-level progressive experiment:
Women’s Suffrage: Long before the 19th Amendment was ratified nationwide in 1920, the Wyoming Territory granted women the right to vote in 1869. Western states tested electoral equality for decades, proving to a skeptical nation that society flourished when every citizen had a voice.
Worker Protections: In the early 1900s, Wisconsin pioneered state-level unemployment insurance and worker safety standards. When the Great Depression struck, those state “labs” provided the exact blueprint for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s national New Deal.
Healthcare Reform: Before the Affordable Care Act was passed nationally in 2010, Massachusetts tested a comprehensive state health exchange in 2006, proving that systemic coverage expansion was operationally possible.
Marriage Equality: Massachusetts served as a real-world test case for over a decade. As the state demonstrated that legalizing same-sex marriage brought social stability, equal tax treatment, and civil protections without destabilizing society, other states followed through state courts, ballot initiatives, and legislative actions. This state-by-state momentum provided the legal and social foundation.
Why Corporate Media Wants You to Fear Federalism in Action
If a progressive experiment succeeds in Michigan, Texas, or New York, the entire nation gains a proven roadmap for solving our toughest challenges. If an idea falls short or needs adjustment, the lesson is contained, refined, and improved—without risking national disruption. That is the ultimate feature, not a bug, of American federalism.
When we try to stifle progressive candidates, we rob our democracy of its most powerful engine for growth: innovation.
So why are these state-level victories constantly under attack?
Because with the ongoing corporate and conservative takeover of legacy, local, and mainstream media, we can no longer count on mainstream outlets to tell voters the truth. Corporate media outlets routinely manufacture fear around progressive ideas to squash transformative candidates, keep the electorate anxious, and protect the status quo.
Progress, informed Americans, and the unvarnished truth are the natural enemies of authoritarianism. MAGA leaders and their media allies are terrified that these progressive policies will actually take hold and energize voters ahead of the midterms and beyond.
How Independent Media Defends Democracy
At Lincoln Square, we don’t buy into the corporate fear machine. We have assembled expert strategists, analysts, and top-tier hosts who break down these bold progressive policies, demystify them for everyday voters, and slice straight through the propaganda keeping our electorate divided.
By upgrading to a paid subscription, you are directly funding independent media that protects the true promise of federalism. Your support amplifies facts, combats corporate media suppression, and funds paid strategic ad campaigns across social media—with every subscriber helping us directly reach 1,000 disengaged voters on the exact digital platforms where democracy is being undermined.
For [ [link removed] ]35% off our regular rate—just $6.50 a month (or $65/year) [ [link removed] ]—that’s less than a fancy cup of coffee per month, or just [ [link removed] ]18 cents a day [ [link removed] ]. [ [link removed] ] You can cancel at any time. This offer ends on Tuesday, August 11th at 11:59 PM ET.
What You Get as a Paid Subscriber:
All-Access Critical Analysis: Deep-dive policy breakdowns, video breakdowns, and strategic briefings from our top analysts and hosts like Stuart Stevens, Joe Trippi, Rick Wilson, Frank Figliuzzi, Steven Beschloss, Susan J. Demas, Edwin Eisendrath, Bobby Jones and Michael Fanone.
A Growing, Like-Minded Community: Connect with fellow pro-democracy citizens in subscriber-only discussions, live chats and live Q&A sessions.
The Lincoln Square Action Platform: Direct access to our advocacy suite to easily contact your local, state, and federal elected officials to fight back on crucial issues.
The Fascism Fighter’s Toolkit: Exclusive digital access to organize on social media, counter misinformation, and help mobilize voters to flip the House and Senate blue in November
A Direct Investment in Defending Democracy: For every subscription upgrade, we allocate a portion to buy social media ads targeting voters in swing states and flippable districts with sharable, viral graphics and short-form video amplifying the facts. Each upgrade helps us reach 1000 voters.
It’s time to stop fighting bold leadership, reject corporate media fearmongering, and start trusting the democratic process. Let leaders like El-Sayed, Talarico, and Mamdani propose big solutions. Let voters evaluate the results. And let the beauty of federalism turn successful state-level policies into the nationwide progress of tomorrow.
Cut through the noise. Support independent media. Let democracy do its job.
In solidarity,
Lincoln Square
Not ready to upgrade your subscription? 250 years of democracy means nothing if we give up the fight now. Powerful forces are banking on voters staying home and tuning out. We refuse to let that happen. Lincoln Square is launching a massive voter-education blitz targeting the independent and disengaged voters who will decide the future of our nation.