What is the two-party doom loop?

There’s actually a term to describe the metaphorical carousel that America seems to be stuck on: the doom loop. Coined by scholar Lee Drutman, the two-party doom loop describes the vicious cycle by which the two parties escalate the ongoing tit-for-tat for control of our government and in the process erode the institutions and hallmarks of our government. 

But rather than have me explain the doom loop, check out the video we produced to explain it:

The incentives of our current system drive the environment in which the only thing that matters to the two parties is winning. Our current election systems egg on the carousel, pushing it to spin faster and more out of control. We can fix it, but we have to start now.

Now we have to discuss the debate.

We’re a nonpartisan organization here at Unite America, with a staff made up of diverse political backgrounds and beliefs. We’re united by our simple belief that voters should come first, and that voters matter. So let’s talk about the debate, but let’s specifically talk about the part that was about our elections and election security. 

The President said an awful lot of mistruths, misinformation, and lies about our elections in the debate. For Business Insider, Grace Panetta breaks down some of Trump’s biggest election-related blunders, and corrects the record. 

Here’s why you should read it, even if you support the president: the sanctity of our institutions is critical to the survival of our republic. If we as Americans don’t trust the validity of the results of our elections, we’ve lost the soul of our country. Driving this sort of mistrust and doubt about our elections is precisely what Drutman is talking about with the doom loop. The president is wrong, plain and simple.

Fill out the census

Finally, a civic reminder for you: if you haven’t filled out the census yet, DO IT NOW. The census — the constitutionally-mandated count of Americans that happens every 10 years — is the data that determines everything from federal funding levels to the number of representatives your state has in Congress. 

The census matters, and you matter. The final date for the census is currently being debated in the courts, so there isn’t time to lose. When you fill out the census you’re making sure not only that you're being counted, but on the whole, that you community is being counted as well. 

Stand up, be counted, and fill out the census. Please.