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A recent Washington Post Editorial [1] argues that the U.S. needs a democracy overhaul. I agree. Such overhaul should be profound enough to enable a true multi-party system to emerge.
Our political views are simply too diverse to fit into a ‘red or blue’ choice. Political disenfranchisement is staggering. In 2016, 97 million eligible Americans did not vote in the presidential election, for an abysmal (but not uncommon) 56% turnout. Even in 2020, the much-higher-than-usual turnout appear to be just around 70%.
Gallup polls [2] routinely show independents outnumbering those affiliated with either major party. This December, 41% of Americans self-identified as independents, versus 31% as Democrats and 25% as Republicans. A 2020 Knight Foundation study [3] found that Americans don’t vote because they “lack faith in the election system and have serious doubts about the impact of their own votes.”
A multi-party system would not cure all ills of our democracy. But it would better represent us, and break a self-destructive loop of dogmatic political alternation. The type of alternation that, with (or is it through?) Mr. Trump, has devolved into a naked attempted at autocracy.
Profound procedural, legislative, and constitutional reforms are needed for multiple parties to have legitimate paths to government. Such reforms can best be achieved if a major party champions them. But will either major party ever muster the desire, resolve and confidence to end the duopoly?
Democrats missed a golden opportunity in 2020 [4]—by failing to recognize that an electoral promise of a future multi-party system could be natural, effective and transformative. Will a Biden presidency champion the idea, with the support of principled Republicans [5]?
References:
[1] Washington Post Editorial Board, “The U.S. needs a democracy overhaul. Here’s what Biden’s first step should be.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-us-needs-a-democracy-overhaul-heres-what-bidens-first-step-should-be/2021/01/01/48c92cba-498a-11eb-a9f4-0e668b9772ba_story.html
[2] Gallup polls news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx
[3] Knight Foundation study: https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/The-100-Million-Project_KF_Report_2020.pdf
[4] A. Baptista, “Why Democrats should champion a multi-party system,” https://outoftheboxblog.org/2020/04/13/why-democrats-should-champion-a-multi-party-system/
[5] T. Friedman, “Will Trump Force Principled Conservatives to Start Their Own Party? I Hope So,” NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/opinion/trump-republicans-party.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
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