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Since its premiere in 1999, Democrats have turned to The West Wing for its inspiring take on American politics. Most recently, the cast was featured prominently on the presidential campaign trail for Kamala Harris in 2024. Many staffers, politicians, and media voices in the liberal space have noted their fandom of the show and its impact on their political careers. But what is that vision, exactly? What is The West Wing hopeful for? What does its idealized government look like? And is it part of the solution, or part of the problem?

While often viewed as a kind of liberal parallel fantasy to the Bush Administration, it's pretty wild how much The West Wing used all the same talking points to sell the War on Terror to its audience.

The West Wing both reflected and shaped the Democratic Party in the early years of the 21st Century, as they abandoned its coalition of workers, women, and racial minorities in favor of suburban professionals. The show was dismissive of anything they viewed as trying to push them to The Left™, in favor of chasing wealthy, white voters in a movement known as Neoliberalism. Today, many of our biggest crises are a result of the wealth inequality brought about by neoliberal policies, but the ideology has recently undergone a rebrand under the name "Abundance." What can The West Wing teach us about the failures of neoliberalism and help us better understand a path forward for progressives?