The two predominant conflicts in today’s American political scene are between capital and labor, and between proponents of open and closed economic systems. Here is what that looks like in graphic form:
Open Closed
Capital Bush Trump
Labor Obama Sanders
The Capital/Open quadrant represents the establishment Pro-Business Pragmatist wing of the GOP: it firmly supports the mobility of capital and high levels of immigration, along with the usual regressive tax cuts and deregulation. Politicians in the Capital/Closed quadrant (i.e., Trump) oppose immigration and the free movement of capital, but support regressive tax cuts and business deregulation. The Labor/Open quadrant is the mainstream of the Democratic Party; politicians in this quadrant support free trade deals, but also push for more progressive taxes and an increase in the size of the welfare state. Voters in the Labor/Closed quadrant, represented by Bernie Sanders, share Trump’s views about free trade deals, but also support progressive taxation and a larger welfare state.
These are the battles that will be fought both between and within the two parties for the foreseeable future. Expect to see them on display on a daily basis.