From Taxachusetts to the Massachusetts Miracle
From Taxachusetts to the Massachusetts Miracle
This chapter explores both Governor Michael Dukakis's career from the early 1970s to his presidential bid and the state's economic turnaround, dubbed the “Massachusetts Miracle,” which made the high-tech industry and skilled professionals ever more central to the state's economy and politics, and the Democratic Party. Despite Dukakis's loss, his platform of abortion rights, affirmative action, the environment, and other quality-of-life concerns coupled with an emphasis on using market incentives to stimulate high-tech growth had a deep impact. Dukakis's platform influenced the set of policies and approach adopted by the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and its leader, Bill Clinton, in their efforts to appeal to suburban voters and move the party closer toward the center. This agenda continued to disproportionately benefit postindustrial professionals, while also perpetuating forms of racial and economic inequality within metropolitan Boston and in the Democratic Party's priorities.
Keywords: Michael Dukakis, Democratic Party, Massachusetts Miracle, high-tech growth, racial inequality, economic inequality
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