The name is borrowed from the historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.’s book The Vital Center. Schlesinger used the term to describe the liberal middle ground between totalitarianism of the left and the right. We share this mission and hope to provide a refuge amidst the stormy extremism of the present.

Yes! If you have a piece you think we would be interested in please follow the instructions on our submissions page.

We are a completely independent publication and do not affiliate with any party or group. This allows us to publish widely and share ideas from across the political spectrum. It is for this reason that not every article published on this website can be said to speak for The Vital Center. True to the teachings of liberalism, we are open to a variety of ideas and rarely speak with one voice.

For many years now, we liberals have left cultural commentary to the far left and far right. We see ourselves as a vital correction to this mistake: offering a home for the many liberal thinkers and writers across the spectrum to come together and offer a moderate interpretation of our past and an alternative vision for the future of human civilization. No one else has taken up this mantle and we are thrilled to fill the gap.

Both and neither. A true revival of the liberal tradition requires buy in from the left and right. To that end we have tried to bring together the very best of both sides.