Peter Dreier is a Distinguished Professor of Politics at Occidental College. Last year he wrote an article for Huffington Post listing the 25 best progressive victories for the year. This year's list makes it an annual event. He has extensive documentation for each of his choices, so his article is long. And all those words mean I'd have to read them all to get a good summary. So I'll just give some highlights (and leave out some points).
1. Some notable progressives were elected this year, with Bill de Blasio of NYC at the top of the list.
2. Labor is starting a comeback with its protests for living wages.
3. There is momentum towards increasing the minimum wage locally and nationally.
4. The Occupy Wall Street movement has effectively changed the discussion of income inequality with its terms 99% and 1%.
6. In spite of the Supremes gutting a key part of the Voting Rights Act, local and state efforts have prevented some bad laws from being enacted and even got a few good ones passed.
7. LGBT rights have indeed made big progress with nearly doubling the number of states with marriage equality (Utah still up in the air) and the election of some gay mayors.
9. Maryland abolished the death penalty, the 18th state to do so, and other states are using it a lot less.
10. While laws to lessen gun violence are stuck at the national level, progress is being made at the state and local level.
11. Though Michigan just passed a law banning abortion insurance from healthcare policies, several other states have blocked restrictions to abortion or improved access to it.
12. There have been a few victories against Wall Street. That includes the Volker Rule to curb speculative trading by banks.
13. Environmental issues grow, including emphasis on sustainability, blockage of the Keystone Pipeline, and making fracking a national issue.
14. A continuing series of rallies for immigration reform.
15. Growing opposition to corporate-backed education reform, including teachers refusing to administer standardized tests.
16. For years the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) would draft corporate-friendly policies and get them passed by various states. Now many of its corporate contributors have been exposed and then embarrassed enough to drop out.
17. Links to shadowy campaign money are being exposed. Public financing of campaigns is growing.
18. There is mounting protest of excessive student debt along with experiments in funding higher education to keep it affordable.
22. The Affordable Care Act, despite glitches and efforts to repeal it, is poised to expand healthcare coverage and be the stepping stone to healthcare cost reductions.
24. In spite of corporate-run media, several progressives have become popular figures. At the top of the list are Senator Elizabeth Warren and Rev. William Barber who leads NC's Moral Monday movement.
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