Thanks, Tom. I hadn't thought of our system as a "Duopoly" though I have been more and more disgusted with that very system. It comes down to wanting to hold on to power, doesn't it--those in the party who have worked their way up and don't want their power structure disrupted. It comes down to who can yell the loudest, be the nastiest, most successfully manipulate just enough voters. Clearly, Ranked-Choice voting gives us voters more power at the polls, and would force the "powers that be" to pay attention to the broader voice of the voters. Also, of course, doing away, at last, with the Electoral College would give more power to the individual voter.
Just wondering if there was a time in US history when we had a plethora of parties - what was the context? - and thinking about some European countries that have a lot of them. Thoughtful piece, Tom. As always.
Mostly, there have been two dominant parties, although parties have come and gone, either merging or just falling into irrelevancy. Minnesota’s DFL, for example, is a merger of two smaller parties. The Founders set up a government that doesn’t lend itself to the parliamentary system of minority parties and coalition governments. Congress, for example, is structured in a way that invests power in two political parties.
As you point out in your last paragraph, change has to come with how we nominate and elect political candidates. We can agree all we want on the desired ends but the mechanisms have to be revised through legislative action that mandates these changes.
Thanks, Tom. I hadn't thought of our system as a "Duopoly" though I have been more and more disgusted with that very system. It comes down to wanting to hold on to power, doesn't it--those in the party who have worked their way up and don't want their power structure disrupted. It comes down to who can yell the loudest, be the nastiest, most successfully manipulate just enough voters. Clearly, Ranked-Choice voting gives us voters more power at the polls, and would force the "powers that be" to pay attention to the broader voice of the voters. Also, of course, doing away, at last, with the Electoral College would give more power to the individual voter.
Just wondering if there was a time in US history when we had a plethora of parties - what was the context? - and thinking about some European countries that have a lot of them. Thoughtful piece, Tom. As always.
Mostly, there have been two dominant parties, although parties have come and gone, either merging or just falling into irrelevancy. Minnesota’s DFL, for example, is a merger of two smaller parties. The Founders set up a government that doesn’t lend itself to the parliamentary system of minority parties and coalition governments. Congress, for example, is structured in a way that invests power in two political parties.
As you point out in your last paragraph, change has to come with how we nominate and elect political candidates. We can agree all we want on the desired ends but the mechanisms have to be revised through legislative action that mandates these changes.