In dry political science terms, “working majority” refers to a majority in a legislative body or to a full government trifecta, where a single party controls the presidency and both chambers of Congress, along with a favorable Supreme Court majority. Boiled down, for Dems this means 60 solid votes in the U.S. Senate, plus majority control, including the speakership, of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and a majority of the Supreme Court.

You want a formula? WM = the Presidency +Majority of House of Reps. – RINOS or DINOS + filibuster-proof majority of SENATE – RINOS or DINOS + voting majority of Supreme Court justices + party discipline.

Thus, a ‘working majority’ is a higher standard of political accomplishment than a ‘trifecta.’ WM>Trifecta.

That’s what is needed to pass good legislation and make it stick. The last time Democrats had one was during the LBJ Administration. Presidents of more modest achievements, including Clinton, Obama and Biden had brief “Trifectas.”

Clinton’s trifecta lasted from 1993-94, during which he signed into law some significant reforms, including the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Brady Bill, the last landmark gun control legislation, which has “prevented more than 3 million gun sales to domestic abusers, felons, fugitives and other dangerous people.” Clinton’s trifecta came to an end in 1994, when The GOP secured majorities of both Houses of congress. He also presided over a remarkable period of economic expansion, though somewhat clouded by his controversial embrace of NAFTA.

President Obama had a shrunken trifecta window with a filibuster proof, 60-seat majority in the U.S. Senate, which lasted just 72 legislative days, during which he, with strong support from Speaker Pelosi, managed to narrowly pass ‘Obamacare.’ It is estimated that the Affordable Care Act has also saved at least 27,400 lives and gave Medicaid coverage to 40 million people. Obama’s trifecta ended in the 2010 midterms, when Republicans won back majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

President Biden had a very weak trifecta from 2021-23. He never had a filibuster-proof majority in congress, because the senate was split 50-50, with Vice President Harris casting the deciding vote. Biden’s accomplishments are impressive, given his weak, short-lived trifecta, including his massive infrastructure investment bill and the CHIPS act, both of which strengthened the U.S. economy.  Democrats picked up a senate seat in 2021, which gave them a 51-49 majority, but which included Manchin and Sinema, who could not be counted on to support every item in the Democrats’ legislative agenda.

In 2024, Republicans won majority control of both the House and the Senate and secured the presidency, establishing a trifecta lite. They did not get a filibuster-proof, 60 vote majority in the Senate. But they tightened up the slack with party discipline and protected it with Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Supreme Court packing. McConnell did not increase the size of the high court. But he effectively packed the court with Republicans by manipulating procedure to deny Democrats any possibility of liberal court nominees getting a fair hearing.

Democrats haven’t had a reliable working majority since the days of LBJ. That’s about 55 years. That’s a long streak of failure, which has not gone unnoticed by voters. That’s not on the Republicans; That’s on us.

LBJ did have a stoke of good luck. In addition to Democrats having 68 Senators after the 1964 elections.  He inherited a U.S. Supreme Court, which took its responsibility to issue morally sound verdicts in consonance with the Constitution. Those days are so gone.

LBJ goosed landmark reforms out of his WM, including the historic Civil Rights legislation of his era, Medicare and Medicaid. His quest for a second term, however, was thwarted by the Vietnam War. But he got a lot done in his Overton Window, and was arguably more astute in manipulating congress than any other president.

One could build an argument that the lack of party discipline has been a common denominator for Dems in the 21^st century, as well as the last third of the 20^th century. It is to some extent built-in liberal political parties, which prioritize pluralistic values. A political party that doesn’t win working majorities for more than half a century is in big trouble, regardless of the reasons why.

Today’s Republicans have turned their trifecta into a functional WM. They have real party discipline. There are no GOP moderates with power at the federal level. Gone are the ‘Gypsy Moth’ Republicans of LBJ’s era. There are some GOP moderates in the media. But they are mostly barking at the train as it whizzes past them.

Republicans have functional trifecta control of government now, and look at what they are doing – dividing the country in rancorous debate; violating legal rights; masked thugs rounding up innocent people and sending them to prison in other countries without any due process whatsoever; militarizing U.S. cities; screwing working people to give huge tax breaks to big business; and gutting the separation of powers and checks and balances – and consequently the Constitution.

This leaves Democrats at a crossroads with three paths: 1. Move to the left on social issues. But there are few examples that this wins elections outside of big cities; 2. Stay the course and hope that common sense will prevail in the upcoming elections. That’s betting the ranch on an inside straight. 3. Move to the center on some key issues, and take some votes away from Republicans.

Which seems the best bet to you?

Leaders with LBJ’s skill-set are scarce in American history. Right now, even an effective messenger would brighten Democratic prospects.

Should Democrats somehow win a WM or a functional trifecta in the not-too-distant future, however, they should take a cool look at structural reforms to increase their power, including Supreme Court Expansion, which does not require a constitutional amendment. Their mantra should be that “the Republicans have already packed the court” and expansion is needed to get America back on a healthy moderate track. Dems should also look at reforms to establish direct popular election of the President and filibuster reform to enhance their senate strength. Republicans have no doubts about doing what is needed to grab and hold power. Democrats must do likewise, if they want to survive and rule.