In this essay, Hertel-Fernandez observes that while the Biden-Harris Administration enacted sweeping policies during the COVID era-like the largest-ever expansion of unemployment insurance (UI), billions spent modernizing the system, and massive social safety-net investments-these weren’t enough to shift political sentiment or secure durable political backing. Even though recipients of expanded UI were more likely to view benefits as earned rights and supportive of welfare expansion, these changes didn’t translate into sustained actions like voting, contacting officials, or lasting approval for Democratic leadership. Crucially, only those who were engaged by unions, churches, or community organizations translated positive experiences into political mobilization, highlighting the limitations of policy alone in reshaping political behaviour.
To address these shortcomings, Hertel-Fernandez proposes moving “beyond deliverism” toward policy as power-building-a framework where policymaking aims not only to solve problems, but to strengthen political movements, reshape institutions, and influence public opinion. He outlines three key dimensions: movements (connecting policies to mobilized communities), mechanics (designing institutions to be responsive and participatory), and messages (communicating in ways that foster long-term support and collective identity). This approach emphasizes building infrastructure-organizational, institutional, and narrative-that embeds policies within broader campaigns for systemic change.