Here’s how we restore American democracy – The Fulcrum
Nye is the president and CEO of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress and a former member of Congress from Virginia.
The American democracy is an incredible tradition that has been the envy of the world and remained resilient through two centuries. Though it has had to adapt to constantly reach for our ideals of equality and effectiveness, it has endured.
Yet the project is straining under the stresses of destructive factionalism our Founders warned us about at the outset of the republic, and it appears near the breaking point. The Economist Intelligence Units new Democracy Index 2021 has ranked the United States as 26th in the world and rated our country as a flawed democracy for the sixth year running. It is time for a serious reflection on the flaws plaguing our democracy and what we can do to fix them.
The EIU report cites extremely high levels of political polarization as a key problem. Our country is largely divided into political camps that define the other camp as an existential threat. Extreme competition for congressional majority compels politicians to ramp up practices like gerrymandering electoral districts for partisan advantage, which serves to destroy faith in politics and to further polarize the behavior of officials whose elections depend primarily on the sentiments of the most extreme party faithful. Closed primaries concentrate power on the fringes, as the primary is the only competitive election in most congressional districts.
Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter
Lack of cooperation and resulting gridlock has rendered Congress largely dysfunctional, racked by increasingly common government shutdowns and an inability to complete sensible budgets on time or at all, while sectarianism prevents the basic cooperation our democracy requires to function. Political opponents are framed as such evil destructive forces that keeping them from power becomes more important than having a democracy at all. Discordant politicians have failed to come together even in the face of a concerted effort by a president to overturn a presidential election, an act which still defies a common assessment or response despite its attendant political violence. The cycle only seems to be spiraling further downward.
America is facing twin crises of dysfunctional politics and a lack of faith in our democracy. The bottom line is that our political system no longer provides incentive for elected officials to cooperate. Our electoral system is stacked in the favor of the most extreme voters, rewarding sectarian battling over cooperation, while our media is inclined to promote dramatic narratives and bombastic attention-grabbing personalities, further rewarding extremism.
If we fail to solve our fundamental incentive problem, we will remain unable to bridge the divides that tear at our country and leave us unable to rally to our greatest challenges at home and abroad.
In order to break this cycle, we must accomplish two things:
Partisan gerrymandering, closed primaries and winner-take-all systems are products of political party invention and not protected by the Constitution. They can be changed. Various states have already implemented fixes such as independent commissions or criteria for districting, open primaries, and ranked-choice selection methods, all of which incentivize candidates to appeal to a broader group of voters, thereby promoting greater cooperation. We should promote these in all states.
Federal legislation would also be ideal for systemic reforms that are most party-agnostic when implemented across all states simultaneously, such as gerrymandering reform, and for reforms that prevent racial discrimination, such as preclearance rules. But a federal legislative strategy that combines a large comprehensive set of reforms is difficult to explain to voters plainly, and unlikely to be successful.
A better strategy would entail a piecemeal approach, starting with reforms that enjoy broad support among voters of all stripes or that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan backing, including preclearance rules and gerrymandering reforms, and devoting more debate time to these issues. Even though progress in Congress is difficult, a more robust public debate would serve to educate voters and move sentiment in favor of reasonable reforms.
American partisans, engaged in scorched earth warfare over voting methodology across numerous states, are poisoning the well for rational compromise on standards that could provide for easy, efficient, and secure voting.
The same malincentives that prevent cooperation over fundamental responsibilities like budgeting cause officials to pursue voting rules satisfying to the knee-jerk sentiments of partisan base voters but often connected to outdated or outright false perceptions or at worst specifically designed to discourage voting among groups that might be more likely to vote for the other team. A constant swing in rules defining absentee ballot usage, early voting opportunities or acceptable voter IDs all dependent on which party holds the majority in a state legislature is a sure-fire way to destroy faith in the process and intensify the heated partisan mistrust that derails opportunities to find common ground.
Fixing this would require the participation of trusted nonpartisan actors, such as respected private sector CEOs, who could broker a tension-reducing set of negotiations over voting rules using a data-driven process that eschews simplistic partisan talking points. A reduction in tensions across this front might blunt the destructive power of dramatic political personalities to constantly stoke sectarian tendencies.
It is also dangerous to allow partisan competitors to police the rules of electoral competition. This is akin to having the referees in a football game also be members of the opposing teams. The elimination of partisan secretaries of state would be a good start in returning the referees to neutral status and restoring faith that elections can be conducted without partisan leaning or undue influence.
The resolution of our dire polarization will take a concerted effort to change incentives and break the cycle of partisan warfare. Fortunately the solutions, however difficult, are known and proven at smaller scales. Though focusing on systemic reform and reducing tensions is not as sexy as the next campaign or charismatic personality, our country deserves our dedication to make this effort a national priority.
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Read more here:
Here's how we restore American democracy - The Fulcrum
- Illinois Governor Pritzker Warns Against Threats to American Democracy in State of the State Address - C-SPAN - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- We are on the road for democracy and justice | Bernie Sanders - The Guardian - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Trump funding freeze halts decades of U.S. democracy work around the world - NPR - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Some of the countrys most coveted voters are fed up with American democracy - POLITICO - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- The Debate - Rule by decree? Trump's executive orders and the future of US democracy - FRANCE 24 English - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Musk Argues Democracy Is Trump Being Able to Do Whatever He Wants - Rolling Stone - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Democracy in crisis: Trust in democratic institutions declining around the world - Phys.org - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- WATCH: Dem Senator warns U.S. may be "months" from "irreversible" destruction of democracy - The.Ink - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- To Fight the Trump/Musk Purge, Federal Workers Hold Nationwide Day of Action to Save Our Services - Democracy Now! - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- A History of the Athenian Democracy (Part 2): Demagogues, Tyrants, Coups, and the People - KPFA - 94.1FM - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Brazilians hail strength of democracy as Bolsonaro is called to account - The Guardian - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Trumps politicization of the U.S. Marshals Service is a threat to our democracy - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- GOP Pushes Drastic Cuts to Medicaid & Food Aid While Proposing Tax Cuts for Rich - Democracy Now! - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Protecting democracy through checks and balances - The Hawk - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Rally speakers say NC judge's attempt to win his election by tossing ballots threatens democracy - NC Newsline - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Jonathan Sumption: Democracy is impossible for the state to satisfy - The New Statesman - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- He hopes that in Sundays election, Germany will stay true to democracy - Youth Journalism International - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- JD Vance and the defense of democracy - JNS.org - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- This final note on democracy and this economy - Marketplace - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Letters to the Editor: Democracy's protectors have finally woken up to resist Trump. Is it enough? - Los Angeles Times - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- George Clooney Addresses Election Results: This Is Democracy and This Is How It Works - Rolling Stone - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Opinion | Attacking Public Service Dismantles the Infrastructure of Democracy - Common Dreams - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Initiative bills a power grab to deprive Arkansas citizens of their right to direct democracy - Arkansas Advocate - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Sheri Berman, American political scientist: 'Can democracy survive in a political environment where institutions are treated as disposable?' - Le... - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Bonta says Trump is spitting in the face of our democracy as federal funds remain frozen - Los Angeles Times - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Murphy On ABC's This Week: This Is A Red Alert Moment Our Democracy Is At Risk - Senator Chris Murphy - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Letter: There are no better mentors for how to nurture democracy than our immigrant neighbors with real-life experience - Salt Lake Tribune - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- I WITNESS: Erasing democracy is easier than you think - theberkshireedge.com - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Investing in Freedom: An Introduction to the National Endowment for Democracy - National Endowment for Democracy - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Thousands Rally in Paris for Iranian Democracy, Rejecting Theocracy and Monarchy - Iran Focus - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Ecuador: Indigenous candidate Iza reminds Ecuador that democracy is more than going to the polls - MSN - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Hundreds of Women Raped and Burned to Death as M23 Rebels Seize Eastern DRCs Goma - Democracy Now! - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- ICE Agents in Colorado Go Door to Door Demanding IDs and Asking People to Turn In Their Neighbors - Democracy Now! - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Bourgeois Formal Democracy for Now but Could Fascism be the Future? - CounterPunch - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Jonathan Sumption: Im not optimistic about the future of our democracy - The Times - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- The double helix of science and democracy - The Boston Globe - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Sign of healthy democracy is willingness to have elections even in time of war, says Trump's envoy - Ukrainska Pravda - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- 'Democracy killer': Winning NC Democrat vows to stop GOP rival blatantly trying to steal election - MSNBC - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Hungary's Orbn says he will do away with pro-democracy and rights groups receiving U.S. aid - The Associated Press - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Letter to the Editor: Time to restore local democracy in Keizer - Keizertimes - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Commentary: The real threat to democracy - Northern Virginia Daily - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Saba Investment Trust Saga: Shareholder Democracy is Alive and Well - Morningstar - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Peter Beinart on Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza & Trumps Call for Ethnic Cleansing - Democracy Now! - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Americas oldest Black town can teach us something about the lost art of democracy - Duke Chronicle - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Desperate for change but is UK gen Z really disillusioned with democracy? - The Guardian - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Forty Years Bashing the National Endowment for Democracy - CounterPunch - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Javier Milei Withdraws Argentina from World Health Organization, Blasts Social Justice Groups - Democracy Now! - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Attacking DEI or democracy? Trumps attack on higher education - The Trinitonian - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Move Fast And Break Democracy 02/07/2025 - MediaPost Communications - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Trump Places 10,000 USAID Workers on Leave and Orders Them to Return to U.S. - Democracy Now! - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- A View on Trumps Dismantling of Democracy from out Here - The Ark Valley Voice - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Federal Judge Extends Injunction on Federal Spending Freeze - Democracy Now! - February 7th, 2025 [February 7th, 2025]
- Democracy in Eastern Europe Faces Another Crisis - The Atlantic - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Column: Trumps lies are dragging down democracy, journalism and the climate - Los Angeles Times - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Trump and Musk Are Destroying the Basics of a Healthy Democracy - The Atlantic - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Trump and Musks dismantling of government is shaking the foundations of US democracy - The Associated Press - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Political Shifts and Rising Tensions: Geoff Kabaservice on the State of Democracy - Civic Media - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- 'Our democracy is just a sham': NC lawmakers who served in the military slam GOP-backed efforts to toss ballots - WRAL News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Why Sudanese Democracy Activists Are Now Backing the Army - Foreign Policy - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- The future of democracy at Wellesley College and beyond - The Wellesley News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Renew Europe at the forefront of protecting European democracy - Renew Europe - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- A new chapter for youth participation and the revitalisation of democracy European Youth Conference kicks off in Braga - Council of Europe - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Chasing Shadows: Cyber Espionage, Subversion, and the Global Fight for Democracy - Quill & Quire - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Heres a shocking finding, gen Z: democracy isnt perfect | David Mitchell - The Guardian - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Democracy Works: The power of practicing peace - WPSU - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Author Bill Adair Discusses the Effects of False Narratives in our Democracy with Steve Adubato - InsiderNJ - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- To keep the spirit of democracy, we need to fight antisemitism - JNS.org - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Public Square gathering part of national pro-democracy movement - NNY360 - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Democracy and pluralism cannot thrive without tolerance - Miscellany News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Was the US Ever Really Ready for Democracy? - Daily Kos - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- [Column] The Red scare shaking Korean democracy to its core - The Hankyoreh - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- What Is Bad for Democracy in Peru Is Bad for Women - Havana Times - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Trump and Musk's dismantling of government is shaking the foundations of US democracy - WPLG Local 10 - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Personal Discretion Over the Treasury's Payments System Means the End of Democracy - Liberal Currents - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Ukraine must receive everything needed for survival and defense of global democracy U.S. congressman - Ukrinform - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump and the unmooring of patriotism and democracy - The Hill - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Keeping the Faith in the Fight to Defend Democracy (Anne Applebaum) - The Bulwark - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Voices: Look to Logan as an example of a democracy and sustainable progress - Salt Lake Tribune - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Biden warns that an oligarchy is forming that threatens US democracy - Reuters - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- WATCH: Bidens final speech from the White House warns of an ultra-wealthy oligarchy that could threaten democracy - PBS NewsHour - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]