How much time does the Biden administration have until Republicans revitalize their strength or even expand in the midterms? This is a question brewing among Democrats who wonder whether they should go bold with legislation, or tread lightly to protect the slim majority of Democrats in the House and Senate.

In this episode and article, Paul Starr argues that Democrats must be bold in the battles they fight but careful about those they choose. Perhaps above all else, the party must prove that government can work for ordinary people while improving election reform so democracy survives.

Starr is professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University and Stuart Professor of communications and public affairs at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs. He also serves as founding co-editor of The American Prospect, a liberal magazine that he co-founded in 1990 with Robert Kuttner and Robert Reich. Starr's work addresses a wide range of questions in politics, public policy, and social theory.