Democrats are now the pro-business party – Newsday
In a week when Democrats won two U.S. Senate seats in Georgia to gain control of Congress, financial markets affirmed a view already prevalent on Wall Street: that Democrats are the best party to get the economy out of its growth slump.
This is a shift from prior decades because of the specific circumstances of the economy in 2021. And it may not last for long given the competing tensions within the Democratic Party. But for at least the next couple of years, it could result in a Goldilocks policy environment.
Just as in the days preceding the presidential election in November, markets were braced for the potential "blue wave" that would deliver Democratic control in Washington a scenario the Georgia Senate runoff actually accomplished. For the week, 10-year Treasury yields rose by 0.19%, the largest weekly increase since early June, and the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index rose by 8.6% on the anticipation of faster economic growth.
The explanation for this new economic narrative is straightforward. Republicans scored decades of policy achievements by lowering taxes and restraining inflation. What's needed to drive higher levels of economic growth now is more government spending, which can kick-start a cycle of hiring, investment and consumer spending.
How much spending will it take? Nobody knows for sure, but the best way to figure out when we've done enough or that spending has become a problem is to monitor inflation and longer-term interest rates, not the size of the national debt or federal budget deficits. Investors believe Democrats are more committed to doing that than Republicans.
The Democrats' pro-growth agenda is part of a demographic reordering of the two political parties over the past several years. Under former President Barack Obama, the urban-rural divide widened, with cities becoming more Democratic and rural areas becoming more Republican. Under President Donald Trump, that geographic divide expanded to metro areas as a whole, with suburban areas shifting to Democrats while rural areas grew even more Republican.
An education divide opened up as well, with college-educated voters becoming more Democratic and non-college-educated voters becoming more Republican. The net effect of those shifts gave President-elect Joe Biden victories in counties comprising more than 70% of the nation's economic output. In particular, areas showing strong population and economic growth tilted blue. So to the extent either party has economic growth in its self-interest, it's the Democrats.
Go inside New York politics.
By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.
While there are other rising voices within the Democratic Party seeking to enact policies less favorable to economic growth such as raising taxes or taking government spending to such worrisome levels that inflation becomes a concern the votes to pursue that more extreme agenda likely won't exist when Democrats have only a one-vote advantage in the Senate and a slim majority in the House. The Democrats are inherently a coalitional party, and their current numbers probably give them enough votes to enact policies that will boost growth, but not enough for moves that will hurt the economy.
At the same time, Republican priorities are shifting away from economic growth. Trump deviated from his party predecessors both by opposing immigration and starting economy-damaging trade wars. More recently, it's unclear whether the party is going to have any kind of policy agenda whatsoever as it delves deeper into conspiracy theories rather than focuses on traditional business interests.
For investors, the hope is that the economic agenda that Biden is expected to lay out for action over the next several months will help the economy recover not just from pandemic, but also from years of under-investment in infrastructure and a labor market that too often has been far from full employment.
Perhaps by the 2022 midterm or 2024 presidential elections, there will be a more balanced view over which party is better for the economy. But for the time being, investors believe that a blue Washington means they'll be seeing green in their portfolios.
Conor Sen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist.
Read more:
Democrats are now the pro-business party - Newsday
- Democrats Lost Them: Heres Why 2020 Biden Voters Sat Out The 2024 Election - Rolling Stone - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Opinion | Have the Democrats found their version of Trump? - The Washington Post - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- These Sick Criminals Are Who Democrats and the Legacy Media Are Defending - The White House (.gov) - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Obama, Healey, more Democrats praise Harvard for rejecting Trump administration's demands - Fall River Herald News - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Lawsuit alleging fraud could leave Democrats with no candidate in Onondaga Countys 9th District - Syracuse.com - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Scoop: Top House Democrats are trying to send a delegation to El Salvador - Axios - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- WA Democrats propose 5 new tax bills on Tax Dayand theyre coming for the big dogs - MyNorthwest.com - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Democrats dislike the chaos of Trumps trade war but are OK with some tariffs - AP News - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Democrats Get an Unconventional Candidate in the Race Against Joni Ernst - notus.org - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Democrats newest villain is a power player youve never heard of - Politico - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Washington Senate Democrats amend 'Parents Bill of Rights' - MyNorthwest.com - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Never had an auditor do something like this. Diana DiZoglio fights, polarizes her fellow Democrats. - The Boston Globe - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- New books chart Bidens downfall and the picture is damning for Democrats - The Guardian - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Democrats accuse GOP senators of affirmative action for Iowa med school - Iowa Capital Dispatch - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Rep. Josh Harder on why Democrats should be angrier at the status quo - Roll Call - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Republicans Less Trusted on Economy Than Democrats For First Time in Years - Newsweek - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Trump rode to victory on the economy. Democrats see a way to flip that on its head. - Politico - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- The Next Generation of Democrats Dont Plan to Wait Their Turn - The New York Times - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Live updates: Democrats seize on volatility of Trump trade policies - The Washington Post - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- The middle is disappearing: Why three dealmaking Senate Democrats are heading for the exits - CNN - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats problem isnt just messaging its the electoral math | David Daley - The Guardian - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- The House: Democrats Favored on What Starts as a Small Battlefield - Sabato's Crystal Ball - Center For Politics - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Four Democrats join Republicans to pass SAVE Act bill that requires proof of citizenship to vote - The Independent - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats running for California governor take digs at Kamala Harris' delayed decision on the race - Los Angeles Times - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats Grill Officials on Insider Profits From Trumps Tariff Reversal - Mother Jones - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- The Early Signs These Democrats Are Running For President in 2028 - The Daily Beast - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- House Republicans and Democrats say the US must maintain its troop totals in Europe - AP News - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats look to force Republicans to choose between backing Trump or lessening tariff pain - CNN - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- The Democrats Wont Acknowledge the Scale of Trumps Tariff Mess - The Atlantic - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats reveal their top targets to flip in 2026 - Politico - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | Democrats Can Be the Party That Wants to Make Americans Rich - The New York Times - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Virginia elections will test the backlash against Musk and Democrats are ready with a plan - The Guardian - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats wrestle with how hard to swing away from tariffs - Semafor - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- With protests and action, Democrats just had their best week since Election Day - MSNBC News - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | Another Group the Democrats Should Stop Taking for Granted - The New York Times - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats Shouting 'Insider Trading!' After Trump's Tariff Pivot Need To Sit This One Out For Obvious Reasons - OutKick - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats Had a Messaging Problem. Trump Just Solved It for Them. - New York Magazine - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Banking Democrats Call on Chairman Scott to Hold Hearing on Trumps Disastrous Use of Emergency Powers to Impose Tariffs and Cause Chaos for American... - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrats look to make a play for GOP turf with surge of new candidates - Politico - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- AIPAC attacks Democrats who voted to stop arms sales to Israel - The Forward - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Elon Musk Helped Democrats Get Their Act Together, But What If He Goes Away? - HuffPost - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Oregon Democrats unveil ambitious road funding proposal. Now the haggling begins - Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Bernie Sanders is drawing record crowds as he pushes Democrats to 'fight oligarchy' - NPR - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- The Democrats' 10 theories driving the party's crisis - Axios - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats Are Taking Their Anger Out on Chuck Schumer - The Wall Street Journal - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Column | Democrats confront the wrath of their voters, just as Republicans have - The Washington Post - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- We Dug Into the Polls. Democrats in Congress Should Be Very Afraid. - POLITICO - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats US tour gathers support in fight against Trump: Get angry, man - The Guardian US - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- The Democrats Are Losing the Social Media Wars. This Young Socialist Is Changing That. - POLITICO - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats clashed over their shutdown strategy. But the party's identity crisis runs far deeper - The Associated Press - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Harris dominates in new poll on who Democrats would back in 2028 - with AOC in third - The Independent - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- With Democrats in disarray and Trump on the attack, many ask what is the way forward - Colorado Public Radio - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- They hate us: Democrats now fear midterms could result in their ouster as voters want candidates to take on Trump - Yahoo - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Opinion | The Last Thing Democrats Need Is Their Own Tea Party - The New York Times - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats feel the heat at town halls, too: From the Politics Desk - NBC News - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- I wish youd be angry. California Democrats face voter fury over Trump, Elon Musk - Los Angeles Times - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- The spending bill fight split Democrats. 2 strategists offer takes on party's future - NPR - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Amid Schumer Backlash, Heres Whos Vying to Lead Democrats - TIME - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Politics have changed but the Democrats havent they are old and out of touch | Moira Donegan - The Guardian - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats are desperately searching for new leaders. AOC is stepping into the void. - NBC News - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- California Democrats are in control. So why are they worried? - POLITICO - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on Democrats clashing over how to govern in the minority - PBS NewsHour - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats Internal Battle Isnt Over Ideology, but How Hard to Fight Trump - The New York Times - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- White House political chief warns the GOP: Democrats are running angry - POLITICO - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- 'We have questions': Mass. residents flood congressional Democrats' town halls, calling for action - WBUR News - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Bill Maher warns that Democrats are 'gonna be the Whigs' if they don't fix this big problem - Yahoo News - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats are failing to meet the moment amid Trumps unconstitutional power grab - MSNBC - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats host town hall meetings in GOP districts throughout the Tampa Bay area - WFLA - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats are angry, disillusioned over failure to stand up to Trump and Musk - The Washington Post - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Trump appeals rulings that blocked his firings of Democrats on independent federal boards - Government Executive - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Video: Opinion | Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won - The New York Times - March 22nd, 2025 [March 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats are reeling. Is Stephen A Smith the way back to the White House? - The Guardian US - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Democrats Turn to Sports Radio and Podcasts to Try to Reach Young Men - The New York Times - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Progressive activists have an agenda for resisting Trump. Will Democrats follow it? - USA TODAY - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Walz, reflecting on 2024 race, says Democrats played it too safe - The Washington Post - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- The 10 Democrats who voted to censure Rep. Al Green are misreading the moment - MSNBC - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- House Republicans unveil bill to avoid shutdown and they're daring Democrats to oppose it - CNBC - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- I was dumbfounded by Democrats' response to Trump's speech. They are in denial. | Opinion - Detroit Free Press - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- House Republicans unveil bill to avoid shutdown and theyre daring Democrats to oppose it - The Associated Press - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Can democrats find their way out of the wilderness? - NPR - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]