Podcast appearances and mentions of lee drutman

Le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison Blanche inspire la presse française, prolixe, mais dans l'ensemble plutôt méfiante et critique vis-à-vis du nouveau président qui prêtera serment lundi 20 janvier. La Tribune Dimanche nous annonce une « rupture », un « nouveau désordre mondial », fait « d'autoritarisme, de nationalisme religieux, de souverainisme économique, et de populisme exacerbé ».  Alors que, précise le journal, « le Trump d'aujourd'hui est bien plus préparé qu'il y a huit ans, bien plus puissant aussi. Il a dans sa poche tout ce qui pourrait jouer le rôle de contre-pouvoir dans son pays : la Cour suprême, le Congrès, le monde des affaires. »Le Nouvel Obs n'est guère plus optimiste, et met en Une Donald Trump et Elon Musk, avec ce titre : « Le nouvel impérialisme », et ce sous-titre : « Le duo de milliardaires ouvre une nouvelle ère dangereuse des relations internationales, dans laquelle la Maison Blanche assume une volonté hégémonique décomplexée ».  « Le monde pénètre en terra incognita », annonce de son côté l'Express, « non seulement personne ou presque ne peut freiner Trump (…) mais de plus il s'est adjoint un vice-roi en la personne d'Elon Musk, qui lui aussi rêve de pulvériser les règles établies ».« Egos boursouflés »Le duo Donald Trump-Elon Musk, a l'avenir incertain. C'est du moins le point de vue du Nouvel Obs, qui se demande si « les egos boursouflés de Musk et Trump s'accorderont durablement. » Certains « riant sous cape », parlent du « président Elon Musk ». Ce qui n'inquiète pas Donald Trump outre mesure : « Je suis tranquille, dit-il. Vous savez pourquoi ? Il ne peut pas être président, il n'est pas né dans ce pays ». Manière de rappeler qu'Elon Musk a vu le jour en Afrique du Sud et qu'il ne sous-estime pas ses ambitions.Quant à la nouvelle administration Trump, « elle ressemble à un bric-à-brac d'idéologies contradictoires », poursuit le Nouvel Obs : « populistes et ploutocrates, conservateurs traditionnels, francs-tireurs de la nouvelle droite et transfuges démocrates, tenants du protectionnisme et représentants d'industries aux intérêts supranationaux ». « Ma raison d'espérer, explique le politologue Lee Drutman, c'est qu'ils soient submergés par les luttes intestines entre les grandes fortunes et la faction populiste ».Imprévisibilité trumpienneLa presse hebdomadaire s'attarde aussi sur les ambitions internationales de Donald Trump. L'Express, qui compare Donald Trump à un « dynamiteur », revient sur ce qu'il appelle « le feu d'artifice de provocations à l'égard de ses alliés ». « Lors d'une conférence de presse à Mar-a-Lago en Floride, le président élu a asséné qu'il n'excluait rien. Ni d'attaquer le Panama pour reprendre le contrôle du canal interocéanique cédé à ce pays fin 1999, ni de s'emparer du Groenland – partie intégrante du Danemark depuis deux siècles, ni de faire pression sur le Canada pour en faire le 51ème état américain. » « On croyait le 47ème président isolationniste », ajoute l'Express, « on le découvre impérialiste ». « Il croit obtenir davantage par l'agression que par la coopération. En cela, il ressemble à Vladimir Poutine ».Une perspective qui fait peur à l'Europe : « l'imprévisibilité trumpienne met les acteurs européens dans un état de stress qu'ils n'avaient pas connu depuis… le précédent mandat du républicain », remarque l'Express. Alors que pour le Nouvel Obs, « cette soudaine brutalité des relations internationales, vise particulièrement l'Europe, qui a le front de vouloir réguler les géants de la tech, et qui fait pièce à Poutine en soutenant l'Ukraine. » L'hebdomadaire lance en quelque sorte un appel : « il faut impérativement qu'après l'investiture de Trump, l'Union européenne se ressaisisse et accepte de s'affirmer comme la seule entité géopolitique à même de faire face à l'Amérique qui se dessine ».Vent de libertéCertains journaux français apportent toutefois leur soutien à Donald Trump. C'est le cas du Journal du Dimanche qui s'enthousiasme à l'idée de la trace que Donald Trump laissera dans l'histoire. « Jamais il n'aura été aussi près du but qu'il s'est fixé depuis ses premiers pas à la Maison Blanche : transmettre sa vision de l'Amérique, et sa façon de diriger en héritage. Faire avec le pays ce qu'il a fait avec le Parti républicain en réconciliant classes populaires et classes dirigeantes. » Le JDD salut particulièrement les projets de Donald Trump en matière d'immigration, alors qu'il bénéficie du soutien « de la plupart des exécutifs locaux, des forces de l'ordre et surtout de l'opinion publique, lassée par quatre ans d'incurie ». « Bonne chance aux droits de l'Homme ! », s'exclame, avec ironie, le JDD qui ajoute : « Sous Biden, 7,5 millions de migrants ont franchi la frontière sans documents. »Le Journal du Dimanche a aussi interrogé Sarah Knafo, eurodéputée d'extrême droite, qui avec son compagnon, l'ex-candidat à la présidentielle Éric Zemmour, est invitée à l'investiture de Donald Trump. « Comment interprète-t-elle cette invitation ? » lui demande le JDD. « Un vent de liberté souffle sur l'Occident, répond-elle, ce mouvement monte aux États-Unis, en Italie, en Grande-Bretagne. Je pense, sans prétention, que nous en sommes les représentants français ». Donald Trump a donc bien choisi ses invités.

Are we there yet? Lee Drutman thinks so. Bradley talks to the senior fellow at the New America Foundation and prominent thinker on political reform about how expanding the number of parties can restore healthy conflict in our politics. "If 30 percent of people in New York City support Trump," asks Drutman, "then how come 30 percent of the seats on the City Council are not Republican?"Lee Drutman's latest in NYT: Opinion | How to Fix America's Two-Party Problem

In this week's episode of Politics In Question, Julia talks with Scott Mainwaring about multipartism and presidentialism. Mainwaring is the Eugene and Helen Conley Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He is the co-author, alongside Lee Drutman, of The Case for Multiparty Presidentialism in the U.S. (Protect Democracy, 2023).How do institutions impact coalition fluidity? What is the role of actors within formal institutions? What can we learn about multipartism from Latin America? These are some of the questions Lee and Julia explore in this week's episode.

On Friday many of us here in Ireland will be going to the polls to exercise our democratic franchise. 2024 is a pivotal year for democracies around the world with as many as 2 Billion people world wide taking part in elections.But although these are all taking place in democracies, not all democratic systems are the same.So what is the fairest and how does ours compare?Lee Drutman is a Political Scientist at New America, and joins Seán to discuss.

On Friday many of us here in Ireland will be going to the polls to exercise our democratic franchise. 2024 is a pivotal year for democracies around the world with as many as 2 Billion people world wide taking part in elections.But although these are all taking place in democracies, not all democratic systems are the same.So what is the fairest and how does ours compare?Lee Drutman is a Political Scientist at New America, and joins Seán to discuss.

With campaigning for the US election entering its final stages, record numbers of voters have submitted their ballots early, across a number of crucial battleground states. Early voting was a key sticking point for the Trump campaign in 2020, which made unproven claims of vote rigging. For more about the final sprint to the White House, reporter Tys Occhiuzzi spoke with Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at the New America think tank.

We discuss how two parties alone cannot represent the diversity of views in American society, how fusion voting could solve for better representation, and who exactly should get engaged in our civic lives.   His civic action toolkit recommendations are:  1. Support political parties and reforms that create more choices. 2. Be a good neighbor and participate in a local meeting.   Lee Drutman is Senior Fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, co-host of the Politics in Question podcast (a fellow Democracy Group podcast!), and author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America.  Follow Lee on X:  https://x.com/leedrutman    Read Lee's Paper:  https://protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Case-for-Multiparty-Presidentialism.pdf   Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Sponsor:  Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!  http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=6tI0Zi1e78vq&ver=standard    Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey! https://www.democracygroup.org/survey   Want to support the show and get it early?  https://patreon.com/futurehindsight    Check out the Future Hindsight website!  www.futurehindsight.com   Read the transcript here:   https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/break-up-the-two-party-system-lee-drutman  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Lee Drutman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

We all get a vote...but do we really get a choice? In the second part of our special election episode, political scientist Lee Drutman joins Ray to talk about the future of ranked choice voting and third party politics in the US. Then, Ray sits down with Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt to talk about whether Robert Kennedy Jr. will play spoiler in the 2024 Presidential Election... and for which party.

In this episode, Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow at New America, discusses the challenge of party politics and explores ways a multi-party system could better represent America's  diversity. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eagleton-institute/message

Happy New Year! We're starting off 2024 with a conversation about finding hope in politics. We often hear from listeners that our show brings feelings of hope, and this episode is no exception.Rep. Derek Kilmer of Washington state joins us for a discussion on the Building Civic Bridges Act, a bipartisan bill that would provide funding for service projects aimed at bridging divides and reducing political polarization. We also discuss his work on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which invited experts like Danielle Allen and Lee Drutman to discuss reforms including multi-member districts and increasing the size of the House of Representatives.It's hard to listen to Kilmer without feeling at least a little hopeful about where politics might go in the coming year. We hope this episode will help you start 2024 on a good note.

Many Americans report that they are frustrated by the two-party system and wish the U.S. were more of a multiparty democracy. Yet current election rules leave virtually no role for independent candidates or third parties in presidential elections other than “spoiler.” What are the features of U.S. elections that have helped ensure there will always be no more than two major parties in every era? How might the rules be changed to facilitate the emergence of more parties, at least in legislative elections? Might the viability of more than two parties in legislative contests encourage more voter participation in presidential elections as well? Peter and Dale discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by third parties with political scientists Lee Drutman, Charlotte Hill, and Sandy Maisel.

Why is American politics so dysfunctional? Is it because we are too polarized or too fragmented? Throughout this fall we will be exploring different aspects of polarization— arguably the most important threat to both effective governance and a stable democracy. This episode includes an edited recording of a lively conversation from the podcast, "Politics In Question", between Rick Pildes, Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law, and political scientist Lee Drutman, a senior research fellow at the New America Foundation.Lee has been a guest on several previous episodes of "How Do We Fix It?". Author of the book, "Breaking the Two Party Doomloop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America", Lee is known as an advocate for proportional representation with ranked-choice voting, arguing that it would reduce political polarization and minimize the risks of democratic backsliding. Rick is skeptical of this analysis, and argues that "the most pervasive and perhaps deepest challenge facing virtually all Western democracies today is the political fragmentation of democratic politics." He has written widely about this topic. Thank you to our friends at "Politics In Question", who have given us permission to share their interview. Both "Politics In Question" and "How Do We Fix It?" are members of The Democracy Group, a network that shares political podcasts about democracy, civic engagement and civil discourse.This episode is part of a fall series made with support and funding from Solutions Journalism Network — a non-profit training and advocacy organization. SJN trains journalists to focus on what the news misses most often: How people are trying to solve problems and what we can learn from their successes and failures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frank talks with Dr. Lee Drutman, a senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America and author of the book "Breaking the Two Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America". They talk about representation in the United States and the state of foreign democracies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Large numbers of Americans are unhappy with the idea of a Biden vs Trump rematch, polls show, but both the Democratic and Republican parties appear to be paralyzed, unable to do anything about it.There's a reason why.Both parties are shells of their former selves, and strong political parties are the foundation of a healthy democracy, many political experts agree. For too long Americans have seen political parties as the villains, and individual politicians and voters as the heroes.That thinking has to change if American democracy is going to survive, Lee Drutman argues in a new study.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Millions of Americans say they are dissatisfied with both of the major parties: Democrat and Republican. And millions never vote. So why can't any third parties break through and become viable alternatives? And could a big third party reduce the polarisation in American society?Host Steve Clemons talks to political scientist Lee Drutman, author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America, and Holly Page, one of the co-founders of the No Labels organisation, which is trying to field third party candidates in United States elections.

Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, New America Foundation senior fellow Lee Drutman, and fmr. WSJ Washington Editor Jerry Seib join Governors Bredesen and Haslam live at George Washington's Mount Vernon to explore the merits and drawbacks of term limits for public officials. 

Rules in Perspective is a new segment on the Rules of the Game channel. In this new segment I review and comment on my own podcast episodes. In this episode of Rules in Perspective I review the podcast episode 39 on Fixing the House with Proportional Representation with Lee Drutman. My 3 takeaways from episode 39: John Adams' Nightmare Electoral reform is an uphill battle, but worth it. Electoral reform from below. ⁠Find the show notes and full transcript here⁠. Listen to episode 39 and find the show notes here. Book: ⁠Breaking the Two-Party Doom-Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America ⁠ by Lee Drutman, 2020. Report: Towards Proportional Representation for the U.S. House, by Grant Tudor and Beau Tremitiere, Mar. 2023, Protect Democracy and Unite America. Related Episodes: The Dream of a Truly American Democracy by Stephan Kyburz (Ep. 1) Listen and show notes Proportional Representation in America? with Jack Santucci (Ep. 12) Listen and show notes New Zealand's Electoral Reform with Jack Nagel (Ep. 30) Listen and show notes It would be great to hear your opinion and feedback on this new format. If you want to send me an email, you can reach me at rulesofthegame.ddi@gmail.com. If you find my discussions interesting and you'd like to support my work, consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rulesofthegame

With Lee Drutman I discuss how proportional representation can break the two-party doom-loop that is spiraling in the U.S. Lee co-founded the organization “Fix Our House” with Charlotte Hill and Eli Zupnick, that specifically campaigns for proportional representation for the U.S. House of Representatives. We spend less time talking about the problems of the outdated first-past-the-post system, yet more time on possible solutions. Lee's favored electoral system is open-list proportional representation, that is also used in Switzerland, for instance. He explains why he changed his mind on ranked choice voting, that he previously vouched for. We agree that the most important message for the electoral reform movement right now is advocating for multi-seat districts and proportional representation, instead of being bogged down by arguing over the best version of PR.  Lee Drutman is a Senior Fellow in the Political Reform program at New America. He is the author of the books “Breaking the Two-Party Doom-Loop: The Case for Multi-Party Democracy in America”, and “The Business of America is Lobbying “. He is the winner of the 2016 American Political Science Association's Robert A. Dahl Award, given for "scholarship of the highest quality on the subject of democracy." He co-hosts the podcast Politics in Question, and he is a lecturer at The Johns Hopkins University Center for Advanced Governmental Studies, and he writes regularly for FiveThirtyEight. He has published numerous pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Vox, NBC Think, and Foreign Policy, among many other outlets. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. from Brown University. Find a full transcript and links to all material discussed in the show notes. Schedule: 00:00 Introduction / 04:17 Personal questions / 05:15 Main discussion / 42:23 Recommendations by Lee Drutman. Lee Drutman at New America. Follow Lee Drutman on Twitter and LinkedIn. Please send feedback to rulesofthegame.ddi@gmail.com. If you find my discussions interesting and you'd like to support my work, consider buying me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com. Many thanks to Ana Margarida Santos who edited the episode. Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Lee Drutman. Music credits: To Be A Ball Of Light by Late Night Feeler and Fantasy Classical Themes by TheoTe.

In this KEEN ON episode, Andrew talks to BREAKING THE TWO-PARTY DOOM LOOP author Lee Drutman about the compelling case for multiparty democracy in America. ABOUT LEE DRUTMAN: Lee Drutman is a senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America. He is the author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America (Oxford University Press, 2020) and The Business of America is Lobbying (Oxford University Press, 2015), winner of the 2016 American Political Science Association's Robert A. Dahl Award, given for "scholarship of the highest quality on the subject of democracy." He is also the co-host of the podcast Politics in Question, a lecturer at The Johns Hopkins University Center for Advanced Governmental Studies, and writes regularly for FiveThirtyEight. He has also published numerous pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Vox, NBC Think, and Foreign Policy, among many other outlets. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. from Brown University. ABOUT ANDREW KEEN: Name as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Less than a fifth of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country. Poverty rates are rising and life expectancy is falling. A majority think the economy is getting worse and that the world sees America unfavourably. But amid the bleak metrics, there have been some bright spots this year: employment remains strong, support for Ukraine has been a notable foreign-policy success and the midterm results laid the groundwork for a stronger democracy. What in America is working? And will those things continue into next year?The American Enterprise Institute's Kori Schake explains why the Ukraine policy has gone so well. Political scientist Lee Drutman looks beyond the doom and gloom of the two-party system. And The Economist's Simon Rabinovitch assesses the implications of a strong jobs market. John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon, who round off the year with a festive quiz.We are always trying to improve our podcasts for our listeners. To help, please complete this short survey: economist.com/uspodsurvey You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Less than a fifth of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country. Poverty rates are rising and life expectancy is falling.  A majority think the economy is getting worse and that the world sees America unfavourably.  But amid the bleak metrics, there have been some bright spots this year: employment remains strong, support for Ukraine has been a notable foreign-policy success and the midterm results laid the groundwork for a stronger democracy.  What in America is working?  And will those things continue into next year?The American Enterprise Institute's Kori Schake explains why the Ukraine policy has gone so well.  Political scientist Lee Drutman looks beyond the doom and gloom of the two-party system. And The Economist's Simon Rabinovitch assesses the implications of a strong jobs market. John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon, who round off the year with a festive quiz.We are always trying to improve our podcasts for our listeners. To help, please complete this short survey: economist.com/uspodsurvey You can now find every episode of Checks and Balance in one place and sign up to our weekly newsletter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you think America's system of government is broken? With mounting gridlock and extremism between the parties, many are dissatisfied…but how did we get here and what are the solutions? Lee Drutman, a senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America and author of the book “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America,” joins the show to discuss his ideas on reforms that could create more a more effective and representative legislative bodies in our country.

It's nearly impossible to hear the word polarization and not immediately think of nasty political feuds. And many point to the fact that we even have political parties as the source of much of our division.   So imagine my surprise when in the course of researching my guest's background for this episode, the organization he is a part of actually takes the stance that polarization isn't always a bad thing.   My guest on this episode is Eli Zupnick. Eli is the co-founder of Fix Our House (https://www.fixourhouse.org/), an organization with a primary focus of getting proportional representation installed in the U.S. House of Representatives.   Eli's colleague and co-founder, Lee Drutman, wrote a book called Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop. In this book, Lee explains that the United States has always had polarized political parties; however, what most don't realize is that up until the last few decades, the U.S. had actually operated within a hidden four-party system rather than the Republican-Democrat binary we see and experience today. The parties were still polarized, they just had to find ways to work together more effectively.   It's a lot to get into, but this is what Eli and Lee and Fix Our House want us to get back to … a multiparty democracy where more cooperation takes place because no party owns a dominating majority, and where more people feel represented by their government.   To learn more about Michael Ashford, visit https://michaelashford.com/

Lee Drutman is the author of “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America.” He joins to discuss electoral reform, multi-member districts, and proportional voting.

For years, but especially in recent times, many political observers have bemoaned the fact that American voters face a binary choice between the Democrats and the Republicans when it comes to party affiliation, and that the design of our political system has kept third, fourth, and fifth parties from gaining any real clout. Would we be better off if American voters had more options? Or does the current system – with all its flaws – still work just fine? Andrew Walworth is joined by a panel of experts to discuss. Panelists include Lee Drutman, senior fellow at New America and author of “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America”; Daniel DiSalvo, chair of the Political Science Department at the City College of New York and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute; and Steve Teles, professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University and senior fellow at the Niskanen Center. The original essays discussed in this program can be found online at RealClearPolitics Disputed Questions.

In this installment of Best Of The Gist, with recent gun reform regulations in our near past, the January 6th Hearings ongoing, and the ramifications of the overturn of Roe versus Wade yet to fully wash over us, we find ourselves yet again wondering about the future of our democracy. If only something could be done to lessen the chasm between the two parties…like maybe stop thinking about our politics as a binary equation? We thought it a good moment to listen back to Mike's January 14, 2020 interview with Lee Drutman about his then-new book Breaking The Two Party Doom Loop: The Case For Multiparty Democracy In America. Then, we replay Thursday's Spiel, in which Mike mulls over the Supreme Court's aforementioned ruling on guns. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If a country backslides from democracy, is there no future hope for democracy. Lee Drutman from New America believes it's possible for democracy to revive itself in countries that otherwise preferred authoritarianism. Drutman describes what a potential revival of American democracy would look like, and also offers his policy proposal to save American democracy.

Following the mass shooting of 19 elementary school children in Uvalde, Texas yesterday, we ask what will it take for us to find the political will to prevent these kind of events from being a uniquely American experience. Lee Drutman, Daniel Webster and Jack Beatty join Meghna Chakrabarti.

Lee Drutman joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about his career, co-founding Fix Our House and how they're advocating for proportional representation and his book "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America".

There is a myth in American a politics, a persistent, never-ending, uninformed myth that plagues the Democratic party, and keeps them in the dark on various issues, that is of course assuming they have any desire to see the light, which is a big assumption. The Democratic establishment is set in its ways and will not change for their base so that is a big assumption. I am starting to think that they enjoy telling this myth because that way they do not look so ridiculous when they manage to lose to far-right conservatives and burnout libertarians that I could honestly beat in my sleep. This myth is the myth of a centrist America, a reason based unemotional lump of boredom that decides what policies do and do not happen in America. However, when you look past the myth of the rational middle, and you actually look at the political leanings of the electorate, you see something much different, much less boring and far more diverse than most people imagine. The "middle" in America are composed of three main groups: independents, moderates and undecided voters. As clearly demonstrated in the article by Lee Drutman entitled "The Moderate Middle is a Myth", none of these three groups are "reliably centrist". That is political speak for no one really knows how these people will vote until they vote. If you look at each of these groups you will find an almost fifty-fifty split between egalitarian ideology (this is the idea that all people are equal and therefore deserve the same opportunities) and more market based ideology, which basically means they are motivated by which policies create the most profit. Within this almost fifty-fifty split between egalitarian and market-based ideology, you will find people bordering on the middle on both. You will also find a mixture of people who lean to the left on certain issues like free speech while at the same time leaning to the right on various other issues like immigration. The message you should take from this is that in America the center is not centrist. That sounds odd until you realize that centrism is a political ideology, not an indicator of one's willingness to compromise. Joe Manchin and Kristen Sinema, both centrist Democrats, have been the least likely to compromise during Biden's tenure as president. Both progressives and Republicans in Congress have been more willing to compromise with Biden (the progressives have been so willing to compromise with him that it is difficult to even call them progressives anymore) than either Manchin or Sinema. Centrism as an ideology is just being a people pleaser to milk the electorate of the most votes. The whole point of centrism is to prevent progress, not to embrace it. You are a centrist when you do nothing and the centrists in Congress have done nothing. Biden has foolishly aligned himself with these centrists and so has aligned himself with political inaction. This is bad news for any politician. If you want to be elected in America you must actually enact the policies that your voters want. Sure, Democrats on Twitter are feverishly trying to convince you that that is what happened, but it didn't. Leftists put Biden in office. Some of those leftists were independents. Some of them were true liberals. Others were moderates or undecideds. But pretty much all of them were in their teens to mid thirties. You know, the people that Democrats are always busy talking shit about. Younger people are far more likely to fall under the spell of apathy after the person they vote for refuses to keep their promises and Biden has not kept his promises. He ignored voting rights. He failed to create the gun legislation he's been promising since Obama was president. He left women out in the cold on Roe V. Wade, which will be repealed soon by the way. He laughed at people when they asked for the $2,000 dollar monthly checks, the ones that he and his vice president promised. He also never canceled the $10,000 of student loan debt he promised. He's doomed --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morecontentplease/support

Vox Senior Correspondent Zack Beauchamp talks with political scientist Lee Drutman, author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop. They discuss the history of the two-party system in American politics, and examine a number of possible structural reforms that could work to get the U.S. out of the morass it's in, looking to several other countries' democracies for inspiration. Host: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox Guest: Lee Drutman (@leedrutman), senior fellow, New America References:  "How does this end?" by Zack Beauchamp (Vox; Jan. 3) Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America (Oxford; 2020) "Democracy in America? Partisanship, Polarization, and the Robustness of Support for Democracy in the United States" by Matthew H. Graham and Milan W. Svolik (American Political Science Review, 114 (2); May 2020) "One way to reform the House of Representatives? Expand it" by Lee Drutman and Yuval Levin (Washington Post; Dec. 9, 2021)   Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by:  Producer: Erikk Geannikis Editor: Amy Drozdowska Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy? This is the question at the center of a two-part series from Vox Conversations and host Zack Beauchamp. For part two, Zack talks with political scientist Lee Drutman, author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop. They discuss the history of the two-party system in American politics, and examine a number of possible structural reforms that could work to get the U.S. out of the morass it's in, looking to several other countries' democracies for inspiration. And, if you missed it, check out part one in this series, a lively debate between Zack and the New York Times's Ross Douthat, on just how close we are to political violence, authoritarianism, and democratic breakdown. Host: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox Guest: Lee Drutman (@leedrutman), senior fellow, New America References:  "How does this end?" by Zack Beauchamp (Vox; Jan. 3) Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America (Oxford; 2020) "Democracy in America? Partisanship, Polarization, and the Robustness of Support for Democracy in the United States" by Matthew H. Graham and Milan W. Svolik (American Political Science Review, 114 (2); May 2020) "One way to reform the House of Representatives? Expand it" by Lee Drutman and Yuval Levin (Washington Post; Dec. 9, 2021) Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by:  Producer: Erikk Geannikis Editor: Amy Drozdowska Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[3:39] Why the US has only two major political parties.[7:48] How to increases options in US elections.[11:40] Independent voters or just confused voters.[14:02] Proportional representation as a solution for more ballot choices.[25:19] Andrew Yang and the Forward Party.[26:39] How New Zealand changed to proportional representation

Joshua Holland kicks off this week's show with a couple of developments in the quest for accountability for the MAGA coup attempt.Then we are joined by Marquette University political scientist Julia Azari to talk about the unique challenges Joe Biden has faced in the first year of his presidency, and the reasons why the conventional wisdom about the upcoming midterms could prove to be wrong. Finally, Lee Drutman, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins and fellow at New America, explains why America's system of governance is poorly equipped to support a healthy, multiethnic democracy and argues that there is a way out of our current levels of tribal conflict. PlaylistAlabama Shakes: "I Ain't the Same"Cat Power: "New York"Noah and the Whale: "5 years time" 

Our individual sense that My Vote Matters and will cause a meaningful outcome is all each of us want. That has eroded for decades and may never have existed for young voters. Our vote has been relegated to dutifully selecting one of two candidates by party label. Little more.For our entire lives we’ve relied on the messages of each major Party to translate to policy that works in the interest of the American people. The competing party platforms are summarized by the size of government being reflective of our compassion for people versus a smaller government that is more fiscally responsible and allows people to self-determine.It’s obvious to all of us that the government is the largest one in history, assimilates every tax dollar and there are 43 million Americans living in poverty. That’s where we are terminally stuck, 21 years into the 21st Century.We see that each of the messages that we’ve voted for our entire lives have fallen woefully short. Without meaningful outcomes American votes have lost value to most Americans.This is where I am on my American journey. If you’re like me, then you’re fed up and just want more common-sense and humility in Congress to represent the affordable priorities of most Americans. Most of us like a little from each side, embrace the same American values and want the same equality of opportunity that cohesive policy and economic certainty can promote.No one represents American interests over political interests in Congress. Not even your Congressperson or Senator. They’re seemingly incapable and despite good intentions and modest actions are trapped by the system. The Congressional agenda is controlled by one person in both chambers, the respective majority leaders, and focuses entirely on supporting political interest and majority control of the chambers. The will of most American people rarely, if ever influences agenda or policy.Make “My Vote Matter” by Considering Candidates Who Are Likely to be Representative of Most AmericansAnticipate the Potential of a Coalition of Red & Blue Moderates, Who Can Control Congressional Agenda to Protect the Affordable Priorities of Most AmericansMaking “My Vote Matter” could be as basic as voting for a Congressional candidate who is likely to caucus as a red or blue moderate, in order to positively influence control of the agenda over the majority leader in each chamber. Voters would need to anticipate that other voters are of a like mind, know the rules for participating in their State’s Primary election, then just as important to the process, a candidate would be encouraged to run by anticipating that voters would turnout motivated to nominate a more representative candidate for the November 8th election.Matthew Yglesias and Steven Teles, in a recent The Atlantic article, A Moderate Proposal make a case for a coalition of red and blue Congressmembers who could control the agenda and move the Senate forward. They appropriately call the group a “Fulcrum”.Lee Drutman says in “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America” that Congress was more responsive before the Civil Rights Bill of 1965 because of a Moderate red and blue membership that he calls “Shadow Parties”. The Republican and Democratic Parties as four parties. The shadow parties were red or blue moderates who identified with their party and who also considered the interests of their constituency. They moderated the debate. (Mr. Drutman hasn’t endorsed this solution. He is more in favor of Proportional Representation)Joseph Manchin and Kirsten Sinema, Moderate Democratic Senators, became pivotal (a fulcrum) recently. Their pushback was disruptive to bills from the Democratic Party. Their positions forced the two sides to have conversations that would’ve never occurred otherwise. It was not surprising that they were characterized through social media and corporate news as being extremists for their center position.Congressional Midterm Primaries are Low Turnout & Vulnerable to a Well-Executed Plan by Informed Voters!A Plan to Influence Control of 118th Congressional Agenda over Chamber Majority Leaders by two well-organized red & blue groups of Congress people.The 118th Congress, with more moderate Republican and Democratic Congressmembers could work together to control the agenda that will focus on the interests of Americans, instead of the nonstop politically oriented schedule and policies that favor the consortium of wealthy election donors that each chamber leader overtly serves at the expense of the American people.Rampart Caucus is an idea for sharing information that will inform and empower people like us to Vote in the 2022 Primaries to nominate humility and common-sense to the November 8, 2022 General Election for the 118th Congress. Red or Blue candidates who will also consider the interests of their constituency.Giving my single vote meaning and value and making it matter can only be achieved by giving like-minded people HOPE that we’ll all turnout at the next election and consider candidates who will most likely represent the affordable priorities of most Americans.Submitted Humbly for My Kids, Randell S. Hynes, Twitter @RandellHynes—What Each American Voter Should Know Before the 2022 Primary ElectionsMajor party doesn’t mean majority.Majority control of a chamber of Congress doesn’t mean that Party represents a majority of Americans.You’re not alone. Half of eligible Voters are not affiliated with a major Party.Is the Primary Election in my State called Open or Closed?Primary Elections to nominate a Party candidate are open to every American who updates their registration label. It’s a label, not a pledge.Closed doesn’t mean Prohibited.Party is just a label. How do I change my label if I’m in a “Closed” Primary State?My Primary Election location, time, procedure.Primary Election rules and procedures for My State.We can only vote in one Party Primary.More about each Candidate.You can Run for Congress by following your States filing rules. Here in Nevada the filing fee is $300. You must be registered in the desired Party before 12/31/21. Filing is in early March 2022. Other States have different rules. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rampartcaucus.substack.com

Join Harry and Philip to learn more about the two-party system and alternative multi-party political set-ups. We discuss what they each are, how they come about, advantages, disadvantages, and American lessons. Next week, you don't want to miss our conversation with Benjamin Singer, Executive Director at Show Me Integrity, as we talk over possible avenues for improving America's two-party politics. -- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-basics-of-party-systems/ (To comment on this episode or sign up for our newsletter, click here.)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here.)Further ReadingPatterns of Democracy, by Arend Lijphart “Electoral Systems: A Primer for Decision Makers,” by Donald L. Horowitz in Journal of Democracy.“ Constitutional Choices for New Democracies,” by Arend Lijphart in Journal of Democracy.“ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/world/canada/justin-trudeau-election-parliament.html (Trudeau Wins, but Is Diminished by a Futile Election),” by Ian Austin and Dan Bilefsky in The New York Times. “https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2018/3/26/17163960/america-two-party-system-constitutional-democracy (Why America's 2-party system is on a collision course with our constitutional democracy),” by Lee Drutman in Vox. Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:22 - Recap 01:46 - Today's topic 04:31 - Two-Party System: How it works and why it happens 11:26 - Multi-Party System: How it works and why it happens 15:07 - Two-Party: Problems 17:16 - Two-Party: American Problems 22:29 - Multi-Party: Solutions 25:37 - Multi-Party: Problems 29:31 - Two-Party: Solutions 31:43 - Which is superior? 34:55 - The takeaway + Next week's topic 36:10 - Signing Off

Join the editors as they begin an exploration of the political spectrum, the way citizens align themselves with political parties, and the nature of the two party system. Is a single-axis political spectrum the best way to conceptualize American politics? What are the effects of more disciplined political parties? How can we best understand what voters want if our major political parties are not delivering? Next week we'll be diving into a deeper exploration of the two party system, so make sure to stay tuned! -- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-political-spectrum-political-alignment/ (To comment on this episode or sign up for our newsletter, click here.)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here.)Further Readinghttps://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-small-gov-models/ (Bird's Eye – Small Government and Liberal Democracy.) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-big-gov-models/ (Bird's Eye – Big Government and Liberal Democracy.) https://www.politicalcompass.org/test (Political Compass Test). “http://www.jakebowers.org/PAPERS/polacrossgen3a.pdf (Politics Across Generations: Family Transmission Re-Examined),” by M. Kent Jennings, Laura Stoker, and Jake Bower, presented at the 1999 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting. “https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/08/opinion/republicans-democrats-parties.html?searchResultPosition=1 (Quiz: If America Had Six Parties, Which Would You Belong To)?” by Lee Drutman in the New York Times. “https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1532673X20961022?journalCode=aprb (The Nature of Partisan Conflict in Public Opinion: Asymmetric or Symmetric)?” by Maria Narayani Lasala Blanco, Robert Y. Shapiro, and Joy Wilke. Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:32 - What would you expect? 01:43 - Today's topic 02:37 - What is the political spectrum? 04:36 - What are the problems with it? 08:28 - The impact of party sorting and what that means 13:58 - Inadequacy of the spectrum; is a compass better? 18:43 - Movement of the Republican party post-90s 21:21 - Inadequacy of the political compass 23:12 - Asymmetric polarization, complexities 25:16 - Inadequacy of a two-party system 30:35 - Closing notes; the argument for two-party 32:41 - Next week's topic 33:25 - Signing off

We're on a bit of a break here at the Alliance Party After Dark, so we thought it would be interesting to revisit a podcast originally released on March 22 of 2020, where we talked with Lee Drutman, political scientist and author of the book "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America." Though the podcast is well over a year old, the topic of the Duopoly and how it's tearing apart America, is as relevant as ever. Note that Lee Drutman recently published an article in the New York Times, which includes a real-time questionnaire that analyzes your answers and places you onto a political map. It can help you identify which of the six political parties most closely aligns with your views. The article can be found at https://nyti.ms/2VBOFgx

What would happen if we stopped buying the line that asking for what we want is somehow bad? Republicans or Democrats not your thing? Then you're a disruptive asshole spoiling it for everybody else. Is it an accident that things are like this? You know better than that. Listen to find out who's really spoiled by this system, and why how we vote really does make a difference, even if it's not how you might think.  Special thanks to guests Angela Walker, Aaron Hamlin, and Lee Drutman. From Maffick Podcasts, Party of One. Written, hosted, and produced by Amanda Getty and Gregory Haddock. Theme song by Jonathan Hurley. Production assistance by Charles Davis and Ryan Wentz. Notes: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pennsylvania-supreme-court-rules-green-party-states-2020/story?id=73076666 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/two-party-system-broke-constitution/604213/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/us/politics/green-party-republicans-hawkins.html https://electionscience.org/ https://www.gp.org/oklahoma https://www.voterstudygroup.org/publication/spoiler-alert https://people.howstuffworks.com/10-third-party-presidential-candidates.htm#pt6 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/green-party-howie-hawkins-2020-us-election-trump-biden-a9591151.html https://people.howstuffworks.com/third-party-candidate.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGc9LzOySJs https://truthout.org/articles/tv-networks-should-open-up-the-presidential-debates/ https://www.rankedchoicevoting.org/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8755513/Kanye-West-spent-3-million-gather-signatures-make-presidential-ballot-15-states.html

Lee Drutman is a senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America. He is the author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America and The Business of America is Lobbying. He is also the co-host of the podcast Politics in Question, and writes for the New York Times, Vox, and FiveThirtyEight, among other outlets. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California.Hear more from Drtuman at a virtual event on "Democracy's Crises and Failure of Imagination" sponsored by The Democracy Group podcast network. Lee will be joined by Carah One Whaley of James Madison University, democracy entrepreneur Turi Munthe, and Democracy Works host Jenna Spinelle. Join us Wednesday, July 7 at 2:00 p.m. ET or watch the recording at democracygroup.org.  Additional InformationJuly 7 event with The Democracy GroupBreaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in AmericaRelated EpisodesDoes Congress promote partisan gridlock?Primaries, parties and the publicHow the Tea Party and the Resistance are upending politics  

We live in an era defined by a sense of separation, even in the midst of networked connectivity. As cultural climates sour and political division spreads, our guest this week suggests there is no better time to reconsider ideas of unity in democracy.In his book, The Ethics of Oneness, Jeremy David Engels argues that if the lessons of oneness are taken to heart, particularly as they were expressed and celebrated by Whitman, and the ethical challenges of oneness considered seriously, it is possible to counter the pervasive and problematic American ideals of hierarchy, exclusion, violence, and domination. Engels is professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State and the Barry Director of the Paterno Fellows Program. He's also a yoga and meditation instructor who has spent time studying yoga and philosophy in India. He is the author of The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman, and the Bhagavad Gita, The Art of Gratitude, The Politics of Resentment, and Enemyship: Democracy and Counter-Revolution in the Early Republic. Additional InformationThe Ethics of OnenessJeremy's websiteJoin The Democracy Group podcast network on July 7, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. ET for a virtual event on "Democracy's Crises and Failure of Imagination" featuring Lee Drutman of New America, Carah Ong Whaley of James Madison University, and Turi Munthe of Parlia. Register here or visit democracygroup.org to watch the recording.

In the words of Richard Hofstadter, “Third parties are like bees: once they have stung, they die." What Hofstadter, a towering public intellectual who died in 1970, meant was that in American politics, third parties succeeded not by winning elections, but by pushing the major parties to reform, to adopt ideas circulating on the margins and bring them into the mainstream. Whether third parties are a help or a hindrance, there is an immovable reason why they have struggled to maintain relevance in U.S. history. Two political scientists, Lee Drutman of New America and Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, discuss why third parties fail, and whether we could use some new parties today.

Today's conversation is with highly-regarded New America political scientist Lee Drutman about his recent book, "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multi-Party Democracy." Jim and Lee's discussion covers why Lee believes American democracy is at a breaking point, as well as specific ideas to save it. Whether you're on the right, the left, or politically homeless, this a deep dive into fixing the system for all.Interview begins at 6:38Show Notes:(Support the Show)If you want to give us a few dollars as a tip, in only a couple clicks on buymeacoffee.com you can help keep independent thought alive. No sign up, or subscription, required.If you want to become a monthly subscriber to the Independent Riot podcast to receive early access to some episodes, bonus content, and a free copy of Jim's book, please sign up on patreon.Show store for independent-minded t-shirts, coffee mugs, and stickers.And please subscribe to the Independent Riot Youtube Channel for additional content not contain in the audio podcast.(Relevant Books)Lee Drutman's book "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop"Jim Duncan's non-fiction book "Independent's Guide to Overthrowing the Two-Party System"Jim Duncan's political fiction "Blood Republic"And read Jim's articles on MediumSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/independme)

(00:00-09:41): Headlines: Chinese Christian kindergarten teacher imprisoned on suspicion of sharing faith with students. Facebook bans QAnon across its platforms. A surge of over 100 COVID-19 cases linked to evangelical Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Local Church Raises $12,000 for Pregnant Waffle House Waitress. (09:41-39:02): We were joined by pastor Rich Villodas. He is Pastor of New Life Fellowship in Queens—a large, multiracial church with more than 75 countries represented. To help provide a discipleship for a deeper, more meaningful faith, he explores a fresh vision for authentic spiritual formation comprised of five key pathways in his book “Deeply Formed Life”: Contemplative Rhythms, Interior Examination, Racial Justice, Sexual Wholeness, and Missional Presence. (39:02-48:38): Walter Kim writes “Evangelical Witness Is Compromised. We Need Repentance and Renewal” in Christianity Today. PLUS, Lee Drutman writes in FiveThirtyEight “How Hatred Came To Dominate American Politics”. (48:38-58:02): Nir Eyal writes “GUIDE: How to be Indistractable” in Psyche. Stop blaming technology – distraction starts within. Manage your inner triggers to enjoy greater focus and a fuller life. (58:02-1:07:38): Michael Solis writes “We Learn Faster When We Aren’t Told What Choices to Make” in Scientific American. The way we decide may even give insight into delusional thinking. (1:07:38-1:17:34): Chip Cutter writes “What CEOs Really Think About Remote Work” in Wall Street journal. Top executives at Netflix, BlackRock and other companies weigh in on at-home arrangements, office reopenings and the future of work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This evening we're doing a mashup of previous shows. The central theme being election issues. We'll hear from the Alliance Party National Chair, Jim Rex as well as Ralph Nader, Theresa Amato, Lee Drutman and David Daley. This mashup brings you some of the best of the Alliance Party After Dark podcasts over the past 6 months!

Lee Drutman, a senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, drops by to talk about the increasing bipolar nature of politics in America, and what we can do about it. Lee is the author of the newly published book “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America.” And, back in 2015, he published the book “The Business of America is Lobbying.” He is also the winner of the 2016 American Political Science Association's Robert A. Dahl Award, given for "Scholarship of the highest quality on the subject of democracy." Lee also co-hosts a podcast called Politics in Question, and writes for the New York Times, Vox, FiveThirtyEight and several other media outlets. He is considered an expert on lobbying, influence, and money in politics. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. from Brown University.

There are quite a few authors writing about the problems facing American democracy and how best to solve those problems. Many of the problematic issues devolve to the question of representation – and how to shift or change the American political system so that it better represents the voters themselves and the plurality of perspectives and opinions across the country. Lee Drutman's new book, Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America (Oxford UP, 2020) dives into both the problems with the current political dynamic and the possible solutions. As the title indicates, Drutman's analysis investigates the current binary “doom loop” of two internally consistent parties, and the elected officials who rarely have to compromise within the Madisonian system set up to compel compromise. Drutman's examination takes the reader through the historical shifts in terms of the parties themselves and American political development, and how Americans have come to find themselves in this “doom loop.” Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop also explores contemporary “toxic politics” and the existential threat that every election seems to pose for parties, partisans, those in elected office, and ultimately for the country itself and public policies. Ultimately, Drutman proposes a number of reforms that, without amending the Constitution, could, as he says, break this doom loop and open up opportunities for more actual representation. Following the examples of a number of cities in the U.S. and the state of Maine, Drutman posits that electoral reform, especially options like ranked choice voting, would shift the dynamic during campaigns, and would lead to coalition building and compromise by lawmakers and elected officials in office. The final section of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America makes the case for how a multiparty system in the United States would work without amending the political institutions established by the Constitution. This is, ultimately, an optimistic book with a variety of proposals designed to untangle some of the persistent knots within the American political system. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans dislike the two major parties, which are fighting more and compromising less. But Does that open the way for the rise of third parties and the huge institutional changes necessary to bring it about? Lee Drutman finds that a new multi-party system is the only way out of our cycle of polarization and democratic decay. He sees opportunities on the horizon, favoring the adoption of ranked choice voting in larger, multi-member House districts. But Jack Santucci finds that the two parties have to face real third-party threats before they're willing to reform away their advantages, focusing on the local reforms that have been tried in American history.

Are Americans losing faith in democracy as our norms erode? Lee Drutman finds that support for democracy remains high, but Democrats and Republicans are increasingly polarized around authoritarian impulses, as Republicans follow Donald Trump's lead. David Adler finds that people who place themselves in the middle of the ideological spectrum are the most skeptical of democracy, in Europe and the United States. Find out if support for strong man leadership is growing on the American Right and if our politics are becoming more like those in Europe.

Lee Drutman, author of The Business of America Is Lobbying, on the growth and power of lobbying in DC • Josh Bivens on the Fed's vast asset-purchasing program The post Behind the News – June 4, 2015 appeared first on KPFA.