Time for a Democratic Shadow Cabinet?
- Jane Jerrard
- Mar 16
- 3 min read
This post reiterates a post in the Grassroots Connector by Kimberly Beck, March 14, 2025. Find it on Substack here.
Clearly, our country is barrelling down a dangerous road. It’s time for Democrats to get organized and get loud. It’s time to follow the lead of other democracies, including England, France, Italy, Japan and Australia. It’s time to create a Shadow Cabinet.
Timothy Snyder, Yale history professor and author of the bestselling On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, has been advocating a Shadow Cabinet for years. In his Substack Thinking About… Shadow Cabinet – A Positive Form of Opposition, Snyder explains how Shadow Cabinets resist tyranny, and why it’s time for Democrats to form one.
A Shadow Cabinet is an opposition party wish list of who would hold various cabinet positions if the party head were commander-in-chief. Shadow cabinets name public figures, party leaders, lawmakers, and other experts to represent an alternative and opposing voice.
There are several reasons why a shadow cabinet will help Democrats protect both democracy and freedom:
A Shadow Cabinet takes control of the narrative and clarifies the party message, both moves that the Democratic party desperately needs. For example, after Trump and Vance’s shameful treatment of Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro offered a clear counter statement with a focus on America’s values. Shapiro did the same after Trump slapped tariffs on Canada and Mexico. With Shapiro as a “shadow” Secretary of State, we could rely on consistent messages from a trusted source within the Democratic party.
A Shadow Cabinet gives a platform to rising stars within the party. When Pete Buttigieg was Biden’s Transportation Secretary, he regularly went on Fox News and was known for effectively communicating with their audience. A voice like this holding a Shadow Cabinet position would offer a counter narrative to specific policies, letting voters re-gain trust in the Democratic party.
A Shadow Cabinet creates a point person for journalists seeking the “other side,” thus keeping pressure on the party in power. Rather than quoting “anonymous sources,” or numerous and disparate voices, journalists can quote a Shadow Cabinet member, a much more credible source.
A Shadow Cabinet gives voters alternatives for the next election, reminding the public, as the Washington Monthly wrote, “that Democrats, while suffering a defeat, came close to winning, are ready to govern, and can lead in ways that matter in people’s real lives.” In other words, the Shadow Cabinet members can be out there fighting back against the lies.
While a Shadow Cabinet seems to be gaining traction in grassroots circles, Democratic leaders appear hesitant. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy recently worried that a Shadow Cabinet would cause infighting. And it might — at first. But right now Democrats, getting very little coverage in the press, are on the verge of becoming irrelevant. Some healthy conflict within the party could show voters what our future leaders are made of, allow their personalities to come out, and ultimately unify the party.
What Can You Do?
Call your elected officials in Congress and tell them to form a Shadow Cabinet. Timothy Synder suggests calling it something less dark, like the People’s Cabinet. One thing is clear — it’s time for Democrats to raise their voices and act like the Opposition Party. This would be an important first step.
For a script, and other suggestions on actions you can take, read Kimberly Beck's Substack: