Start Here
A plain-English guide to what The Functionalists are trying to build.
The Map
The Functionalists are organized around five things: what government should do, how citizens should argue, where we stand, where we act, and what we study.
Five Pillars
Our core governing agenda: build more, protect a simple floor, make healthcare proactive, restore safe and humane streets, and make democracy work.
What government should do.Read moreGood Faith Standard
Our civic practice for resisting algorithmic division: steelman before critique, focus our agenda, separate facts from values, and argue like citizens, not algorithms.
How citizens should reason and disagree.Read moreWhere We Stand
Not every important issue is a core issue for every movement. We identify core platform issues, good-faith guides, open research questions, and local decision issues.
How we classify issues.Read moreAgendas
Specific reform agendas for NYC, Philadelphia, and the USA: exact policies, what exists now, what is broken, and what should replace it.
Where principles become policy.Read moreLibrary
Curated videos, books, articles, podcasts, reports, critiques, and opposing arguments that shape our thinking.
What we study.Read moreWho Are The Functionalists?
The Functionalists are an independent civic project for people who are tired of being forced into the old political boxes. We believe America should be the easiest country in the world to build a life: start a business, raise a family, get healthcare, change jobs, speak freely, participate in democracy, and retire with dignity.
What Does Abundance Mean?
Abundance means building enough of the things people actually need: homes, clinics, doctors, clean energy, small businesses, childcare, safe streets, schools, transit, public spaces, and opportunity. Scarcity is not always natural. Often, it is created by rules, monopolies, veto points, permitting bottlenecks, and political cowardice.
What Makes Us Different?
From the left, we keep
Dignity, anti-poverty, healthcare access, worker power, anti-monopoly, civil rights, and concern for the vulnerable.
From the right, we keep
Free enterprise, personal responsibility, civil liberty, public order, skepticism of bureaucracy, and respect for local community.
From neither side, we reject
Culture-war addiction, institutional capture, monopoly power, performative politics, and systems that make normal life harder.
Are We A Party?
Not yet. The Functionalists are starting as a civic platform, policy project, and organizing network. Over time, it may support candidates, chapters, ballot reforms, or a formal political vehicle. For now, the goal is to build the doctrine, the community, the policy library, and the local proof points.
How Can I Help?
Join the newsletter
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read moreHelp research a policy
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read moreCurate a video or article
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read moreStart a local discussion
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read moreVolunteer in NYC
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read moreVolunteer in Philadelphia
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read moreDonate to the early build
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read moreShare the site
A practical next step for the early movement.
Read more