As the new Trump Administration takes power, it is clear that the Democrats need to be more organized in order to respond forcefully. The Democratic party should, like the "loyal opposition" party in other countries, form what is often called a shadow cabinet, with one high-profile Democrat tracking- i.e. "shadowing"- each Trump cabinet post, speaking out about their misdeeds, and presenting a positive Democratic alternative agenda. Many of us prefer the term "people's cabinet", so that will be used interchangeably below.

Imagine, for example, your favorite Democrat as the shadow Secretary of The Treasury, going on Fox News or Joe Rogan to point out exactly how the new Trump tax cuts would benefit almost exclusively the wealthy, and that without those cuts we could extend the child tax credit to put dollars in ordinary folks' pockets. 

On health, foreign affairs, immigration, and justice, we need strong voices to be the focal point for our efforts to make the Republicans own their misdeeds, and to let folks know about our Democratic alternatives. With their official status, the people's cabinet offices could become central foci for information, and would become the go-to stop for people in the traditional and nontraditional media. The shadow ministers offices would also be hubs for the critical work of tracking all the potentially corrupt changes being made in the many labyrinthine departments, and then calling them out when the time is right.

In the time of upcoming chaos, the people's cabinet can remind America what competent, thoughtful leadership serving all Americans can look like. In the increasingly fragmented media landscape, the shadow cabinet can provide spokespeople known to represent millions, rather than isolated "opposition" voices. Presenting a coherent criticism and positive vision is the only way to fight the organized misinformation and hatred coming from the other side.

Here is one call for a shadow cabinet that explains it in more detail.

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