How America's Electoral System Benefits Authoritarianism
...and How We Can Fix It
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, Feb 2, 2022, 12:00PM ET / 9:00AM PT
Register to Join Zoom Webinar
Join Protect Democracy, Unite America, and R Street on Wednesday, February 2 at 12:00pm ET/ 9:00am PT for a discussion on how features of the U.S. electoral system are exacerbating America’s authoritarian threat. While those concerned about U.S. democracy justifiably focus on the current far-right campaigns to curtail voting rights nationwide and interfere with election administration, the roots of antidemocratic extremism run much deeper. A new report by Protect Democracy argues that, unlike most other major democracies, the U.S. electoral system—single-member plurality—is structurally and uniquely advantaging authoritarianism: diluting minority voting power, weakening competition between the major parties, preventing an electorally viable new center-right party, and rewarding extreme factions at the ballot box.
|
|
This briefing will address the following questions:
- How is America’s electoral system anomalous?
- What challenges does this system present to democratic resilience?
- How can we structurally reverse the authoritarian tide?
At a time when it’s easy to feel bleak about the state of our democracy, our panelists will explain why they’re still hopeful.
|
|
|
|
|
Didi Kuo
Associate Director for Research and Senior Research Scholar
CDDRL, Stanford University
|
|
Lee Drutman
Senior Fellow, Political Reform Program
New America
|
|
|
Nick Troiano
Executive Director
Unite America
|
|
Matt Germer
Resident Elections Fellow, Governance Program
R Street
|
|
|
|
