Back in May, the Democratic National Committee belatedly and reluctantly released its autopsy of the 2024 election. The report itself was, Daniel Schlozman writes this week in the NYR Online, a mess, “full of truisms and potted histories,” while its publication—from conception down through the DNC’s efforts to suppress it—invited criticism from leftists and centrists alike. Indeed, he continues, “It is probably fair to say that the rising forces in today’s party, from Abundance-pilled moderates to socialists, view the DNC as much less central than their predecessors did.”

Schlozman tells the history of the DNC, from before the Civil War to today, and makes the case that it has been weakening ever since the end of the Obama administration, giving way to a web of ultrarich donors and various unaccountable PACs (lately empowered by the Supreme Court to raise and spend more money than ever). And while there is much to criticize about the committee, Schlozman argues that we may miss if it drifts too far out of relevance: “A heroic party is hard to imagine at this juncture, but it’s still worth trying to build a competent one.… If the alternatives are off-the-record weekends where billionaires and politicians watch glorified TED Talks, then party meetings in sad ballrooms don’t look so bad after all.”

Below, alongside Schlozman’s essay, we have collected five four from our archive about the DNC.

Daniel Schlozman
The DNC Against Itself

As it drifts to the margins of US politics, the Democratic National Committee has become the stage for an internal struggle over resources and prestige.

Randi Weingarten
A Lesson for Democrats

“We—not just Democrats who are running for office, but the DNC—should learn from Mamdani’s campaign. Don’t just talk about what we stand for, act on what we stand for.”

—July 9, 2025

Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld
Late to the Party

In the aftermath of the scramble to replace Joe Biden, Democrats will need to confront why they had such trouble thinking and acting as a party—even when it mattered most.

—July 30, 2024

Joseph O’Neill
Save the Party, Save the World

Somewhat unexpectedly, ensuring the success of the Democratic Party has become the most important political project in the world.

—August 20, 2020

Joan Didion
Politics in the ‘New Normal’ America

“The Democratic candidate could be electable, but only if he narrowed his appeal to the impulses and whims of the ‘swing voter,’ for the last several election cycles the phantom of the process, someone presumed to have no interest in politics who is nonetheless mysteriously available to talk to Paula Zahn for a CNN special or free up an evening to sit in on a focus group.”

—October 21, 2004

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