It’s been said that the worst number of political parties to have in a country is one. But the second worst number of parties to have is two. As we see every day, the unnatural binary nature of a two-party system forces false choices, extremism, tribalism and a growing necessity for both parties to kowtow to their most ideologically extreme members. The result is increased polarization, continued gridlock and a growing populist anger and resentment from voters toward the entire political system.
But while the Democrats and Republicans are not very effective at most things, they have demonstrated an immense talent for protecting their mutually beneficial duopoly. Their primary elections and conventions are held at taxpayer expense, reforms such as open primaries and ranked choice voting that would increase voters’ options are strongly discouraged, and the legal and financial barriers to a new party are stultifying. In spite of these obstacles, support for new political options continues to grow, especially among the youngest generation of voters.
Read Full Article »