Join Protect Democracy, Unite America, and R Street on Wednesday, February 2 at 12:00pm ET/ 9:00am PT for a discussion panel 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.
When: Wednesday, February 2 at 12:00pm ET/ 9:00am PT
Speakers:
Didi Kuo, Associate Director for Research and Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, 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
Moderator:
Grant Tudor, policy advocate for Protect Democracy and author of Advantaging Authoritarianism: The U.S. Electoral System & Antidemocratic Extremism