The American Deal: Reframing the Economic Debate

We work hard. They pay us enough to raise a family on. That’s the American Deal.

We work hard. They pay us enough to raise a family on. That’s the American Deal, and corporations are not holding up their end of that deal. Our public debate is stuck in a false choice between two economic models: the “free market” and the “safety net.” We need a third option: “economic fairness.” Our economic system has become fundamentally unfair, but people don’t want handouts. They just want our leaders to make the market live up to its end of the deal.

The following is the best way to reframe our economic messaging such that it connects with voters we are not reaching now, particularly younger voters and male and/or rural voters.

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Economic Fairness

Our public debate is stuck in a false choice between two economic models: the “free market” and the “safety net.” This fails to reflect what most people are experiencing in their day-to-day lives. We need a third option: “economic fairness.”

The following “economic fairness” messages beat “free-market” and “safety-net” messages by two-to-one across four focus groups.

ENFORCING THE DEAL

“There’s supposed to be this deal: We work hard. You pay us enough to raise a family on. I want a government that will make the market live up to its end of the deal.”

ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE

“Our economic system ought to have enough good opportunities so that everyone can find a way to support themselves and their families.”

Standing Up to Economic Bullies

Political decision making is never about what we will give people. It’s always about what’s right and wrong. In this case, it’s about fairness, self-respect and self-determination.

Our economic system has become increasingly unfair. Corporations are using the massive power of concentrated wealth to squeeze us in every aspect of our lives. People feel like they are being bullied in a school yard, day after day after day. It’s not that they don’t appreciate the safety net. They’re just sick and tired of being helped after they’ve been beaten up. People want someone to stop the corporate bullies from beating them up in the first place.

People want leaders who will make the market hold up its end of the deal, and if we’re not willing to do it, they will choose someone crazy enough to burn the whole thing down.

Trump tries to portray himself as the tough guy, but he rolls over at the first sight of a dollar sign. He is literally begging to be bought. You know who stands up to bullies? Teachers and coaches. You know who stands up to corporate bullies? Prosecutors.

This is the vibe I want to see: Kamala Harris as enforcer of the American Deal. This does not require any change of economic policy. The Biden-Harris administration is already standing up to the immense power of concentrated wealth in unprecedented ways. Our economic agenda is superb. We just have to frame it right.

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The Winning Message: The American Deal

“Our economy might be strong, but that doesn’t mean it’s fair, at least not yet. We are working to make it fair.”

“The American Dream was never just a dream. Dreams are unattainable, out of reach. The American Dream is actually the American Deal. You have been told your whole life that there’s this the deal: You work hard. They pay you enough to support your family on. That's the deal. You are working hard. You’re working harder than ever, but corporations just aren’t holding up their end of the deal. You know what? We’re going to make them hold up their end of the deal.”

“We are fighting like hell for you right now, against the mega-corporations that are squeezing the life out of all of us. We are fighting wide-scale wage suppression – the non-compete agreements that stop millions of people from switching to better paying jobs. We’re suing massive corporate landlords for colluding to raise your rent. We’re stopping the predatory investors that outcompete families who are just trying to buy a home to live in. We’re cracking down on price fixing by the food and drug monopolies who are putting family farms and local pharmacies out of business. And we’re doing everything we can to support your right to organize and negotiate for better wages.”

“The Biden-Harris administration has been working people’s best friend. No administration since FDR has done more to stand up to the power of concentrated wealth on your behalf.”

“I won’t lie to you. This is tough fight. The mega-rich have a lot of power and influence, and corporate-backed Republicans in Congress and Republican-appointed judges are fighting us every step of the way.”

“We need your help. Elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and give us a clear Democratic majority in Congress so we can fight for economic fairness and make corporations live up to their end of the American Deal.”

Moral Accounting and the Economic Contract

What matters here is not the slogan “The American Deal.” The power is in reframing the debate around the concept that the relationship between owners and workers is an “economic contract” between equals. That is what breaks through the false “free-market versus tax-and-spend-liberal” framing we’ve been fighting for decades.

The contract/deal is what makes this about fairness and not handouts. It taps into a primary cognitive metaphor called “Moral Accounting” which is the subconscious basis for all human understanding of fairness. It is what makes “paying what you owe,” both literally and figuratively, a moral requirement in our society and most others.

That is why we have to lead with messaging about the parts of our economic plans that involve muscular government action on bringing down the cost of living, particularly on housing, food, pharmacy middlemen and others, as well as increasing wages, framing non-compete agreements as the wage-suppression tactic that they actually are.

We must show voters that we have and will continue to fight for economic fairness and stand up to powerful corporate interests on their behalf. Kamala Harris’ action on behalf of defrauded CA homeowners is the perfect illustration for this.

A Broken Contract

Follow with messaging about programs that help people pay for things that cost too much. It’s not that those programs aren’t important. They are. But people know they are band-aids on a broken system, and they need to know that we know this and are doing something about it.

People increasingly feel like pass-through entities between government and corporations. Obamacare subsidies might be the difference between having health insurance and not having it, but the pre-subsidy premiums and out-of-pocket limits are still shockingly high. And while $25,000 would be a godsend to people trying to buy homes, the fact that the median cost of a house has gone up $120,000 since 2020 still feels a punch in the gut.

Safety nets are supposed to be there to catch you when you fall. For far too many people, it feels like personal and societal failure to need government aid for things they ought to be able to afford. When the economy is doing well and people have a job that pays well, and they still feel completely screwed, they know that something is fundamentally wrong.

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The Bottom Line

Winning Undecided Voters

The psychological difference between “making the market fair” and “providing financial assistance” is an incredibly important distinction for undecided voters. At this point in the election cycle, we have probably hit a ceiling on “safety net” voters, but we still have room to pick up more “economic fairness” voters.

In my focus groups, economic fairness messaging was popular across the board, but it was particularly appealing to both younger generations who are critical of capitalism as a whole, and pro-business moderate voters who pushed back against safety-net messaging, including men, rural voters, and moderate African American and Hispanic voters.

“I taught my kids that hard work pays off. I want them to grow up in a world where that actually is true.” ~ focus group participant

All American voters want is economic fairness. They just want our economic system to work as promised.

The economic fairness “enforcing the American Deal” message is compelling. It is also entirely credible given the character and history of our candidates, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and the amazing track record of the Biden-Harris Administration, especially on anti-trust enforcement.

“Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and all of our Democratic candidates believe in economic fairness. They will stand up to corporate bullies and enforce the American Deal on behalf of the American people.”

That’s how we gain a break-out lead over Republicans on handling the economy.

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Contact me with any questions about language use and attribution or consulting at: antonia@antoniascatton.com or (202) 922-6647‬.

NOTES

Please stop saying “lowering.” Say “bringing down” or “reducing” costs. “Lowering” is a terrible weak word that gets swallowed in the back of your throat!

Democratic Values and Beliefs

“Economic Fairness” depends on getting people to see the relationship between government and our economic system from a Democratic perspective:

Government is us: it’s a tool that we, the people, use to take care of each other and improve our quality of life. We created this economic system to serve the needs of people, not the other way around, and we have the right to make it do its job.

Corporations depend on all sorts of services, protections and investment provided by you, the American people, through government. We have the right to make corporations live up to their end of the deal.

Learn more about Democrats’ economic beliefs: