We Need More Parties
We Need More Parties by Lee Drutman, published by Boston Review in 2024, examines the complexities of American democracy and the limitations of the two-party system. This 176-page book, written in English, argues that while partisanship contributes to the current democratic crisis, the root issue lies in the structure of the political system itself. Drutman contends that the two-party framework fosters division and disaffection among citizens, ultimately undermining political legitimacy.
In this edition, readers will find a collection of essays that respond to Drutman’s arguments, featuring contributions from various political scientists and theorists. The discussions delve into topics such as electoral reform, fusion voting, and the broader implications for American democracy. The book also addresses contemporary issues like executive power abuses and the dynamics of political legitimacy, providing a multifaceted exploration of the challenges facing the United States today.
Official synopsis Publisher
American democracy is broken, but partisanship alone is not to blame. Political scientist Lee Drutman places our two-party system instead at the center of the American democratic crisis. Of course, partisan conflict plays a role, forcing voters to choose between a party that they might dislike and another that is far worse. But the two party system creates this corrosive dynamic. And the results of this system are dire: more partisan division, low political legitimacy, and high citizen disaffection.
This is how democracies crumble. The way to save democracy, Drutman argues, is to create more and better political parties through electoral reform and fusion voting.
We Need More Parties features responses to Drutman from Working Families Party national director Maurice Mitchell, political scientists Daniel Schlozman & Sam Rosenfeld, political theorist and former candidate for Massachusetts governor Danielle Allen, and others.
The issue also includes essays on American democracy and the question of political legitimacy: Project 2025 and abuses of executive power, the anointing of J. D. Vance and the liberal embrace of “reasonable conservatives”, the politics of grief in rural America, and more.
Contributors: Tabatha Abu El-Haj, Danielle Allen, Deepak Bhargava, Elizabeth Catte, Kevin Donovan, Lee Drutman, James Goodwin, Arianna Jiménez, Josh Lerner, Cerin Lindgrensavage, Bob Master, Maurice Mitchell, Joel Rogers, Sam Rosenfeld, Daniel Schlozman, Doran Schrantz, Ian Shapiro, Honora Spicer, Sunaura Taylor, Grant Tudor, Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, and David Walsh
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