Shifts in US Policy and Their Implications for Models of Governance and the Contest over Values: A Reading of the Senate Primary Election Results

**Ramadan Ahmed**

The American political landscape is undergoing notable shifts during the current Senate primary election cycle, as evidenced by the emergence of a progressive current within the Democratic Party that is achieving significant results at the ballot box. These developments suggest a change in the political mood of the American electorate. The approach of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, known for his criticism of Israel and his sympathy for Palestinian rights, stands as a clear indication of this transformation. These shifts carry particular significance given the United States’ position within the international system and the potential repercussions they may have for both domestic and foreign policy.

This article seeks to draw a number of lessons from the contemporary American political landscape, particularly for societies labouring under repressive political systems, tribal conflicts, or racial discrimination, while also examining what these transformations could mean for the wider world.

## First: Democracy as a Mechanism for Self-Correction

At its core, democracy is defined as a system of government grounded in the will of the people and their effective participation in decision-making. For decades, however, the American experience has demonstrated the considerable influence of wealthy elites over the political process, manifested most clearly in the power of lobbying groups—foremost among them the **American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)** , established in 1954 and influential for seven decades. This influence has made US foreign policy appear disproportionately aligned with interests other than its declared national priorities and, indeed, at odds with the human-rights values espoused by the United States in its official discourse. These policies have also been associated with support for authoritarian regimes and the circumvention of international conventions, all within the framework of close alignment with Israel’s strategic interests.

What has changed recently, however, is the behaviour of the American voter. This shift is no longer confined to domestic affairs but has extended to the assessment of foreign policy, particularly following the repercussions of the war with Iran and its impact on living conditions.

The victory of candidate Abdul El-Sayed over a rival backed by US$70 million in AIPAC support provides a compelling example of the ballot box’s ability to overcome financial influence and may herald a period in which the dominance of lobbying groups begins to recede. This demonstrates that democracy, despite its distortions, retains the capacity to expose errors and correct its course. The growing influence of the progressive movement within centres of decision-making could reshape the identity of American politics as it has been known over the past half-century.

## Second: Shared Interests as an Effective Basis for Social Cohesion

Recent elections have demonstrated that ethnically and religiously diverse societies such as the United States can transcend identity-based divisions when common interests bring people together. This has been reflected in the emergence of political figures from Muslim backgrounds—such as Ilhan Omar and Abdul El-Sayed—into prominent political positions, suggesting a shift in priorities away from religious and ethnic affiliation towards political programmes centred on achieving social justice.

Progressive platforms have focused on fundamental issues including free healthcare, education, the independence of the political process from financial influence, and opposition to the use of taxpayers’ money to support a state accused of serious human-rights violations at a time when American citizens themselves are experiencing declining living standards. This message, which has resonated with a broad section of the electorate, has resulted in the triumph of popular will over financial power. It therefore reinforces the proposition that shared material interests can provide a solid foundation for social cohesion, with an influence greater than that of ethnic or religious ties.

## Third: Shared Values and the Stability of Moral Frameworks

Fundamental human values such as integrity, transparency, justice, freedom, and respect for rights constitute normative frameworks that acquire stability when rooted in firmly established principles, whether religious or humanistic. The American experience, however, has demonstrated that these values can be compromised when they conflict with particular interests, as has occurred under the influence of lobbying groups that have reshaped American policy in ways that contradict its professed principles.

By contrast, the progressive movement, led in part by Muslim figures such as Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed, advances a values-based discourse that derives its legitimacy from both religious and humanistic principles, making it capable of appealing to American voters regardless of their backgrounds. When such values remain consistent and are not subordinated to the interests of narrow groups, they can provide common ground upon which politics reflects the will of society rather than that of elites.

## Fourth: Political Authoritarianism and the Waste of Resources

One lesson that can be drawn from the American model of reform is that authoritarian systems, whatever form they take, lead to the waste of human potential and resources and prevent those resources from reaching the people who should benefit from them. Widespread poverty across large sections of society is not necessarily the result of a scarcity of resources but may instead arise from their unequal distribution and the domination of mechanisms for exploiting those resources by powerful elites. Genuine reform lies in ensuring that those who govern are true representatives of the popular will, thereby directing resources according to collective priorities.

One practical example cited in this context is the rapid response of the Mayor of New York to a citizen’s complaint about a pothole in a road. This illustrates the concept of immediate accountability and effective representation of the popular will. A leader elected by the people owes their political mandate to those who elected them and is therefore obliged to place their interests at the forefront of the political agenda and prevent resources from being squandered in appeasing vested interests at the expense of the public.

## Conclusion

Early indications from the US primary elections point to the possibility of a new phase emerging in American domestic and foreign policy, one that could ultimately redefine the country’s global role. If the popular will becomes firmly established as the foundation of political decision-making, the United States may be able to restore its international influence—not through military power or unilateral dominance, but by restoring the importance of shared human values. Such a transformation could open the way for models of governance that are more just and more responsive to the aspirations of peoples, both within the United States and in the wider sphere of international relations.

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