This really interesting article by Richard H. Pildes and published by The New York Times examines the rise in extremism in American politics and the necessity for targeted reforms. Here is an excerpt:
American democracy faces alarming risks from extremist forces that have rapidly gained ground in our politics. The most urgent focus of political reform must be to marginalize, to the extent possible, these destabilizing forces.
Every reform proposal must be judged through this lens: Is it likely to fuel or to weaken the power of extremist politics and candidates?
In healthy democracies, they are rewarded for appealing to the broadest forces in politics, not the narrowest. This is precisely why American elections take place in a “first past the post” system rather than the proportional representation system many other democracies use.
What structural changes would reward politicians whose appeal is broadest? We should start with a focus on four areas.
Read the full article here.
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