Andrew Yang
Yang ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 on a universal basic income he called the Freedom Dividend, warning that automation would hollow out American jobs. He lost the 2021 New York mayoral primary, left the Democratic Party and co-founded the Forward Party, which has not yet produced a breakthrough. In 2026 he proposed paying families $15,000 a year from the earnings of companies that use Americans' data, and he has not ruled out a run in 2028.
Yang has never held public office. This grade rests on his two campaigns and his public positions. He has no record on statecraft, so it is not graded.
This grade is preliminary and based on the public record to date.
The grades
- SovereigntyDid they put American interests first and keep decisions in American hands?B-
- HemisphereDid they guard the Americas against rival powers and threats?C
- No entangling warsDid they keep the country out of wars that weakened it and served no American interest?B-
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?N/R
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?C+
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?A-
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?B
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?C+
- CompetenceWere they capable and effective in office?C
- IntegrityDid they govern honestly, free of corruption and of capture by donors or foreign interests, and do what they said?B+
On the axes
Dark dot: Andrew Yang. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 74%.