PROTECT DEMOCRACY, is a non profit pro democracy organization founded by constitutional and legal scholars and informed by some of our most learned political science experts. Following is their announcement of the release of their most recent report on the state of our Democracy, as well as a link to the entire 50 page report. The report also includes potential reforms that could improve our democratic institutions and governance. Including
- Alternative voting methods. They specifically focus on ranked choice voting
- Multi member districts
- Enlarging the House of Representatives
“WASHINGTON, DC — A new report released today by Protect Democracy finds that powerful but often-ignored features of our electoral system are systematically rewarding political extremism.
Despite a global surge in extremism, America’s authoritarian faction is both more extreme and more successful than similar movements in most other advanced democracies. Why?
In Advantaging Authoritarianism, Protect Democracy examines the links between escalating antidemocratic extremism and America’s single-member plurality electoral system—one “uniquely translating limited factional support into outsized political influence.” The report examines specific system features that are structurally favoring the authoritarian movement: for example, by exaggerating one party’s electoral wins, diluting minority voting power, weakening competition between the major parties, preventing an electorally viable new center-right party, and rewarding minority factions at the ballot box, among other effects.
“The U.S. is an electoral system outlier,” said Grant Tudor, report author and policy advocate with Protect Democracy. “No other democracy on earth elects its officials like we do. This report critically examines how our peculiar, outdated system is systematically advantaging America’s ascendant authoritarian faction—and how absent reform, extremism will escalate.”
One year after the January 6th insurrection, the authoritarian movement is gaining strength, not weakening. Advantaging Authoritarianism interrogates our electoral system’s role in aggravating this extremism and how various changes could help to turn the tide.
