Democrats Need a Shadow Cabinet

A recent poll shows that the Democratic Party has reached the lowest point in its history. Its clumsiness is evident. There is no leader. There is no shared platform. The Party could not even unify when President Trump gave his de facto State of the Union Address. Individual Democrats had varying signs and shirts, as well as even social media dancing. That’s right – dancing.

When I was younger, I visited the International Clown Hall of Fame & Research in Wisconsin. This ragtag group of Democrats might have fit in at the museum. Political wheeler-dealer James Carville has urged the Democrats to sit back, do nothing, and allow President Trump to screw things up. But the declining Democratic Party poll rating above, and their Oaths of Office, demand more.

My suggestion is that the Democratic Party establish a “Shadow Cabinet” in opposition, as in Great Britain and several other nations. This would provide the necessary coherence and leadership to rival the Republicans, who always seem to fall in line. The Republicans are like a military, and Democrats need to leave the clowning behind.

Former Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel of North Carolina made the Shadow Cabinet suggestion after losing his seat in 2024. At the time, Biden remained president for a couple more months, leaving him and Harris still at the head of the party. With Democrats now fully in opposition, the need for the Shadow Cabinet is even more acute. In a Shadow Cabinet, the Democrats would designate high quality elected officials to follow along, and respond, to their respective Republicans.

For example, Pam Bondi is Attorney General. Well, Senator Amy Klobuchar could be the shadow Democratic Attorney General, given her long experience as a prosecutor and excellent legal training. When Bondi makes policy, Klobuchar would offer a thoughtful response that holds Bondi accountable. House Minority leader, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, could be the shadow Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Etc.

These Democrats would not have to give up their current positions. But their portfolio would change and become more focused. The Democrats would be systematically active and become a plausible alternative to the Trump Administration.

There would be several issues, especially since this system is generally used in Commonwealth parliamentary democracies such as Great Britain, New Zealand, and Canada. But it has also been used in Turkey.

First, who would pick the Shadow Cabinet? I would advocate that living former Democratic Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and those who were nominated for such positions, could form the selection group for this alternative Cabinet.

Second, what about the problem of having both moderate and very progressive Democrats? Well, here’s where military rules would apply. The Democrats would have to consistently take one uniform position on most issues. No more clowning around. There is some evidence that the Democrats realize this. Highly progressive “Squad” member Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sought to become the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee but lost. She has become more moderate as a result. Moreover, many experts assert that the strong American political party system now results in something more like a parliamentary structure.

Another problem would be intra-party rivalries. But when President Trump gives a speech, one of the shadow Cabinet officials could deliver a response. That person could rotate. There actually has been scholarship about a dual executive, so this would be somewhat similar.

Or the chosen Cabinet might select one especially charismatic Shadow member to respond generally to President Trump. This approach is not perfect, and there will be serious workability issues. On the other hand, though the Republicans are disciplined (J.D. Vance does not call Trump “America’s Hitler” anymore), President Trump is not. He changes positions daily, lies repeatedly, attacks journalists personally, and makes things hard for his party. His poll ratings are declining as is the stock market, due in large part to his tariff talk. Inflation might be flat or even coming down but it still feels to be increasing (in part because of media coverage of egg prices).

There is a real opportunity for a disciplined Democratic Party to make a comeback if it focuses on a few issues, such as the economy, the destruction of the federal government, including with respect to vital functions like air traffic control and nuclear safety, and the empowerment of unelected billionaire Elon Musk.