The Broken Two-Party System
The Broken Two-Party System

Author: Robert Alex

Publisher:

Published: 2019-08-16

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13: 9781977215253

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Robert Alex's The Broken Two Party System is a calm, clear-minded, unbiased analysis of the root causes of the often vicious partisan politics we see around us today in the American political landscape. A recent Gallup Poll showed that seventy-seven percent of Americans see the country as divided. More startling yet, a quarter of all Republican parents and twenty percent of all Democrats would be upset if their child married someone who supported the other party. Vicious partisan politics is causing the great divide in the country. Robert Alex makes an intelligent and convincing case that our two party system itself is at the core of the political and social strife we as a nation are experiencing today. He pinpoints the exact reason a binary, two party system is doomed to failure -- an idea shared by our Founding Fathers - and traces the stranglehold domination two party politics have had on American politics since 1797, the end of George Washington's presidency. Robert Alex reminds us that the first president himself refused to be a member of any political party. He, like most of his compatriots, railed against any two party system and worried about the ease with which it would compound those most undesirable aspects of human nature. However, by the inauguration of the second president, John Adams, Federalist and Anti-federalist factions had formed into two political parties. We've been at the mercy of a two party system ever since. Only one alternative party candidate has ever been elected president, Abraham Lincoln, in his second term. With the passing of the 16th and 17th Amendments -- which switched the election of senators from state legislatures to popular vote and then gave them unlimited funding through the country's first income tax - the monopoly of the two party system was assured. Shortly thereafter a new character was introduced onto the stage of American politics, the long term career politician. The use of power by these career Senators and Representatives has become entrenched through their own, often corrupt personal political dynasties, and they now have a vested interest in keeping a two party system that bars any competition. There is, in fact, more political corruption today than ever before, Alex reports. In the last forty years more federal congressmen have been officially expelled, censured or reprimanded for financial crimes than any time in our history. The solution - just as Lincoln did during the divisive atmosphere of the Civil War - is switching to a multi-party political system. It is what is needed, and it is what the public wants. Sixty-one percent of Americans are in favor of a third party. Half of all Millennials no longer identify as either a Democrat or Republican. The Broken Two Party System offers the five straightforward steps we need to take to implement a multi-party system. Three would make an immediate difference. Two are more long term. Altogether they would provide higher voter turnout and a greater representation of the diverse elements in today's society. Robert Alex understands, too, just who the first converts need to be in order to quickly bring into play these changes, changes needed to restore the country to the ideal envisioned by the Founding Fathers and the Constitution.

Breaking the Two-party Doom Loop
Breaking the Two-party Doom Loop

Author: Lee Drutman

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 0190913851

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American democracy is in deep crisis. But what do we do about it? That depends on how we understand the current threat.In Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop, Lee Drutman argues that we now have, for the first time in American history, a genuine two-party system, with two fully-sorted, truly national parties, divided over the character of the nation. And it's a disaster. It's a party system fundamentally at odds withour anti-majoritarian, compromise-oriented governing institutions. It threatens the very foundations of fairness and shared values on which our democracy depends.Deftly weaving together history, democratic theory, and cutting-edge political science research, Drutman tells the story of how American politics became so toxic and why the country is now trapped in a doom loop of escalating two-party warfare from which there is only one escape: increase the numberof parties through electoral reform. As he shows, American politics was once stable because the two parties held within them multiple factions, which made it possible to assemble flexible majorities and kept the climate of political combat from overheating. But as conservative Southern Democrats andliberal Northeastern Republicans disappeared, partisan conflict flattened and pulled apart. Once the parties became fully nationalized - a long-germinating process that culminated in 2010 - toxic partisanship took over completely. With the two parties divided over competing visions of nationalidentity, Democrats and Republicans no longer see each other as opponents, but as enemies. And the more the conflict escalates, the shakier our democracy feels.Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop makes a compelling case for large scale electoral reform - importantly, reform not requiring a constitutional amendment - that would give America more parties, making American democracy more representative, more responsive, and ultimately more stable.

The Politics Industry
The Politics Industry

Author: Katherine M. Gehl

Publisher: Harvard Business Press

Published: 2020-06-23

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 1633699242

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Leading political innovation activist Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter bring fresh perspective, deep scholarship, and a real and actionable solution, Final Five Voting, to the grand challenge of our broken political and democratic system. Final Five Voting has already been adopted in Alaska and is being advanced in states across the country. The truth is, the American political system is working exactly how it is designed to work, and it isn't designed or optimized today to work for us—for ordinary citizens. Most people believe that our political system is a public institution with high-minded principles and impartial rules derived from the Constitution. In reality, it has become a private industry dominated by a textbook duopoly—the Democrats and the Republicans—and plagued and perverted by unhealthy competition between the players. Tragically, it has therefore become incapable of delivering solutions to America's key economic and social challenges. In fact, there's virtually no connection between our political leaders solving problems and getting reelected. In The Politics Industry, business leader and path-breaking political innovator Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter take a radical new approach. They ingeniously apply the tools of business analysis—and Porter's distinctive Five Forces framework—to show how the political system functions just as every other competitive industry does, and how the duopoly has led to the devastating outcomes we see today. Using this competition lens, Gehl and Porter identify the most powerful lever for change—a strategy comprised of a clear set of choices in two key areas: how our elections work and how we make our laws. Their bracing assessment and practical recommendations cut through the endless debate about various proposed fixes, such as term limits and campaign finance reform. The result: true political innovation. The Politics Industry is an original and completely nonpartisan guide that will open your eyes to the true dynamics and profound challenges of the American political system and provide real solutions for reshaping the system for the benefit of all. THE INSTITUTE FOR POLITICAL INNOVATION The authors will donate all royalties from the sale of this book to the Institute for Political Innovation.

The Parties Versus the People
The Parties Versus the People

Author: Mickey Edwards

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2012-08-22

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 0300186029

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“An urgent and engaging look at how American politics have become the founding fathers’ worst nightmare” (The Daily Beast). America’s political system is dysfunctional. We know it, yet the problem seems intractable—after every election, voters discover yet again that political “leaders” are simply quarreling in a never-ending battle between the two warring tribes. As a former congressman, Mickey Edwards witnessed firsthand how important legislative battles can devolve into struggles not over principle but over party advantage. He offers graphic examples of how this problem has intensified and reveals how political battles have become nothing more than conflicts between party machines. In this critically important book, he identifies exactly how our political and governing systems reward intransigence, discourage compromise, and undermine our democracy—and describes exactly what must be done to banish the negative effects of partisan warfare from our political system and renew American democracy. “Overcoming tribalism and knee-jerk partisanship is the central challenge of our time. Mickey Edwards shows why and how in this fascinating book filled with sensible suggestions.” —Walter Isaacson, New York Times–bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci “Many Americans, whether Democrats, Republicans, independent or otherwise, would welcome a few more like [Edwards] in office.” —The Boston Globe

It's Even Worse Than It Looks
It's Even Worse Than It Looks

Author: Thomas E. Mann

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2016-04-05

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 0465096735

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Acrimony and hyperpartisanship have seeped into every part of the political process. Congress is deadlocked and its approval ratings are at record lows. America's two main political parties have given up their traditions of compromise, endangering our very system of constitutional democracy. And one of these parties has taken on the role of insurgent outlier; the Republicans have become ideologically extreme, scornful of compromise, and ardently opposed to the established social and economic policy regime.In It's Even Worse Than It Looks, congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein identify two overriding problems that have led Congress -- and the United States -- to the brink of institutional collapse. The first is the serious mismatch between our political parties, which have become as vehemently adversarial as parliamentary parties, and a governing system that, unlike a parliamentary democracy, makes it extremely difficult for majorities to act. Second, while both parties participate in tribal warfare, both sides are not equally culpable. The political system faces what the authors call &"asymmetric polarization," with the Republican Party implacably refusing to allow anything that might help the Democrats politically, no matter the cost.With dysfunction rooted in long-term political trends, a coarsened political culture and a new partisan media, the authors conclude that there is no &"silver bullet"; reform that can solve everything. But they offer a panoply of useful ideas and reforms, endorsing some solutions, like greater public participation and institutional restructuring of the House and Senate, while debunking others, like independent or third-party candidates. Above all, they call on the media as well as the public at large to focus on the true causes of dysfunction rather than just throwing the bums out every election cycle. Until voters learn to act strategically to reward problem solving and punish obstruction, American democracy will remain in serious danger.

The Broken Branch
The Broken Branch

Author: Thomas E. Mann

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0195368711

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Two nationally renowned congressional scholars review the evolution of Congress from the early days of the republic to 2006, arguing that extreme partisanship and a disregard for institutional procedures are responsible for the institution's current state of dysfunction.

Uncivil Agreement
Uncivil Agreement

Author: Lilliana Mason

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2018-04-16

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 022652468X

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The psychology behind political partisanship: “The kind of research that will change not just how you think about the world but how you think about yourself.” —Ezra Klein, Vox Political polarization in America has moved beyond disagreements about matters of policy. For the first time in decades, research has shown that members of both parties hold strongly unfavorable views of their opponents. This is polarization rooted in social identity, and it is growing. The campaign and election of Donald Trump laid bare this fact of the American electorate, its successful rhetoric of “us versus them” tapping into a powerful current of anger and resentment. With Uncivil Agreement, Lilliana Mason looks at the growing social gulf across racial, religious, and cultural lines, which have recently come to divide neatly between the two major political parties. She argues that group identifications have changed the way we think and feel about ourselves and our opponents. Even when Democrats and Republicans can agree on policy outcomes, they tend to view one other with distrust and to work for party victory over all else. Although the polarizing effects of social divisions have simplified our electoral choices and increased political engagement, they have not been a force that is, on balance, helpful for American democracy. Bringing together theory from political science and social psychology, Uncivil Agreement clearly describes this increasingly “social” type of polarization, and adds much to our understanding of contemporary politics.

Camelot's End
Camelot's End

Author: Jon Ward

Publisher: Twelve

Published: 2019-01-22

Total Pages: 357

ISBN-13: 1455591378

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From a strange, dark chapter in American political history comes the captivating story of Ted Kennedy's 1980 campaign for president against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, told in full for the first time. The Carter presidency was on life support. The Democrats, desperate to keep power and yearning to resurrect former glory, turned to Kennedy. And so, 1980 became a civil war. It was the last time an American president received a serious reelection challenge from inside his own party, the last contested convention, and the last all-out floor fight, where political combatants fought in real time to decide who would be the nominee. It was the last gasp of an outdated system, an insider's game that old Kennedy hands thought they had mastered, and the year that marked the unraveling of the Democratic Party as America had known it. Camelot's End details the incredible drama of Kennedy's challenge -- what led to it, how it unfolded, and its lasting effects -- with cinematic sweep. It is a story about what happened to the Democratic Party when the country's long string of successes, luck, and global dominance following World War II ran its course, and how, on a quest to recapture the magic of JFK, Democrats plunged themselves into an intra-party civil war. And, at its heart, Camelot's End is the tale of two extraordinary and deeply flawed men: Teddy Kennedy, one of the nation's greatest lawmakers, a man of flaws and of great character; and Jimmy Carter, a politically tenacious but frequently underestimated trailblazer. Comprehensive and nuanced, featuring new interviews with major party leaders and behind-the-scenes revelations from the time, Camelot's End presents both Kennedy and Carter in a new light, and takes readers deep inside a dark chapter in American political history.

Fanatics & Fools
Fanatics & Fools

Author: Arianna Huffington

Publisher: Miramax

Published: 2004-04-14

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13:

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As America's leaders fight pre-emptive wars abroad and ordinary Americans fight to keep their heads above water here at home, Arianna Huffington offers a no-holds-barred account of where we stand and a clear and remarkable vision of where we should be headed. Taking aim at the ruthless fanatics in the Bush White House and the feckless fools in the all-too-compliant Democratic opposition, the best-selling author of Pigs at the Trough paints a scathing picture of our contemporary political landscape -- peopled with scoundrels and cowards, and awash in the constant and corrosive flow of dirty money. But the book doesn't stop there. Over the course of her run for governor of California, Arianna Huffington learned that criticism and outrage are not enough. She lays out her game plan for winning back America from our not-so-compassionately-conservative president, now firmly and happily in the grip of right-wing radicals like Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and John Ashcroft. With the 2004 election fast approaching, Arianna Huffington sees fire in the ashes of the Democratic Party and reason for hope that this can be the year that the people finally take back control of their government and their country. Fearless, funny, in full command of the facts, and ever passionate, Arianna Huffington offers not just a chapter-and-verse diagnosis of the fanaticism that drives the Bush White House but a bold vision of New Responsibility for rebuilding our broken democracy. If you want to know what you can do to restore America to the promise and moral greatness envisioned by our greatest leaders, from Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt to FDR and Bobby Kennedy, this book is required reading. These are big dreams, but, as Arianna argues, anything smaller guarantees the reelection of George Bush. Book jacket.

The Land of Flickering Lights
The Land of Flickering Lights

Author: Michael Bennet

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press

Published: 2019-06-04

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 0802147828

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The Colorado Senator offers “a sweeping diagnosis of the nation’s political ills . . . stitched together with assurances that room for redemption still exists” (New York Times Book Review). In The Land of Flickering Lights, Senator Michael Bennet lifts a veil on the inner workings of Congressional politics to reveal, in his words, “a series of actual stories—about the people, the politics, the motives, the money, the hypocrisy . . .” each of which demonstrates “the pathological culture of the capital and the consequences for us all.” Bennet unfolds the dramatic backstories behind the highly politicized confirmation battles over judicial nominations at all levels; the passage of the Trump tax law; the shredding of the Iran nuclear deal; the pervasive corruption unleashed by the influence of “dark money”; and the sabotage by a congressional minority of the “Gang of Eight’s” bi-partisan deal to reform America’s immigration policies. With frankness and refreshing candor, Bennet pulls the machinations behind these episodes into full public view, shedding vital new light on today’s political dysfunction. Arguing that each of us has a duty to act as a founder, he calls on Americans of all political persuasions to demand that the “winners” of our political battles be all the American people, nor one party or the other.