President Andrew Shepherd
Liberalism, unashamed
The reforming president of the movies.
Reformist Social LiberalOne of 729 ideologies · enter the Social Liberal hall →- Role
- President (fiction)
- From
- The American President
- Region
- United States
- Social band
- Reformist
- Placement
- −26 · +22 · +45
§ Where President Andrew Shepherd stands
3 axesShepherd governs as a mainstream liberal who accepts the market but wants it regulated. His defining fight is over a bill to cut fossil-fuel emissions by 20 per cent within ten years, a sweeping regulatory measure that he finally champions despite the political risk. The film shows little interest in redistribution or public ownership, which keeps him only moderately left of centre.
He is a creature of the system: the plot runs on vote-counting and the trading of legislation for support in Congress, and for most of the story he sacrifices the environmental bill to pass a crime bill. His turn at the climax is towards bolder use of federal power, promising to take on assault weapons and handguns, which he calls a threat to national security.
His progressivism is the film's moral centre. In the closing speech he declares himself a card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union, defends the right to burn the flag in protest as the price of free speech, and accuses his rival of winning votes by making people afraid and telling them whom to blame.
How close are you to President Andrew Shepherd?
Three statements, one per axis. Answer them and we’ll drop you on the compass next to them.
§ The story
FictionPresident Andrew Shepherd is the hero of The American President, a 1995 film directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, with Michael Douglas in the title role. A widowed liberal president heading into a re-election year with high approval ratings, he falls for Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), an environmental lobbyist, and their romance becomes ammunition for his conservative rival, Senator Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss), who attacks his character and values.
Shepherd embodies Sorkin's ideal of liberalism argued openly rather than apologised for. For most of the film he plays safe, trading away Wade's emissions bill to win votes for a crime bill, before a press-room speech in which he defends civil liberties and recommits to his convictions. Sorkin reworked the film's White House world into the television series The West Wing, and the closing speech is still quoted as a model of confident liberal rhetoric.
Notable for
- 01Hero of 'The American President'
- 02'I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU'
- 03Sorkin's liberal ideal
Key works & moments
- 1995Rob Reiner's The American President, written by Aaron Sorkin, opens with Michael Douglas as Shepherd.
- Early filmMeets environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade and begins a very public courtship.
- Mid-filmDrops her emissions bill to secure votes for his crime bill as Rumson's attacks mount.
- ClimaxAnswers Rumson in the press room and backs both emissions cuts and tougher gun control.
- 1999Sorkin's The West Wing debuts, reworking the film's White House world for television.
In President Andrew Shepherd's words
“America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship.”
“My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I am the President.”
§ Minds closest to President Andrew Shepherd
All minds →
§ Also in the Social Liberal hall
Enter the hall →§ Common questions
4 answersWhat is President Andrew Shepherd's political ideology?
Andrew Shepherd is an unapologetic American liberal: on the 99ideologies three-axis compass, a Reformist Social Liberal. Economically he sits moderately left of centre (−26), pushing environmental regulation within a market economy. On governance he leans towards an active state (+22), working Congress for legislation and finally promising a federal push against assault weapons and handguns, and socially he is clearly progressive (+45), defending civil liberties, the American Civil Liberties Union and even flag burning as protected speech.
Is Andrew Shepherd left-wing or right-wing?
Left of centre in American terms. Shepherd is written as a liberal who spends most of the film playing it safe before rediscovering his convictions on environmental regulation, gun control and civil liberties. He is no socialist, though: he never questions the market economy, and his politics are about regulation and rights rather than ownership, which places him in the reforming liberal mainstream rather than on the radical left.
Why is Andrew Shepherd's closing speech so often quoted?
Because it states the liberal case with unusual bluntness. In the press-room scene Shepherd stops ducking his rival's attacks, admits to being a card-carrying ACLU member, defends the right to burn the flag in protest, and accuses Senator Rumson of being interested only in making voters afraid and telling them whom to blame. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the speech set the template for the idealised political oratory of The West Wing and remains a touchstone for fans of the genre.
Which minds are closest to President Andrew Shepherd?
On the 99ideologies three-axis compass, the minds closest to President Andrew Shepherd are Hubert Humphrey (97% alike), Roy Jenkins (96% alike) and L. T. Hobhouse (96% alike). The furthest is Hans-Hermann Hoppe (22% alike).