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The unfairness created by Republican gerrymandering in states across the country ahead of the midterm elections is the latest sign of the deep flaws of the American political system. In the latest edition of Right Now, political scientists Lee Drutman of the think tank New America and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Mark Copelovitch say that the United States needs to look abroad for models on how to better run a democracy. Both say that it’s critical that the U.S. adopt proportional representation and multimember congressional districts. That would make gerrymandering obsolete and foster the creation of a multiparty system, which both Drutman and Copelovitch agree is essential. Copelovitch says that the strongest democracies tend to have a prime minister chosen by parliament, not a president, because presidents often assert too much power. Since the U.S. is not likely to get rid of the presidency, Copelovitch argues that it’s critical that true limits are enforced on presidential power. He also says that adding justices to the Supreme Court is essential, because the current justices are hyperpartisan and too power-hungry. Copelovich says that judicial reform is also important because the current high court might strike down proportional representation and other necessary reforms. Drutman and Copelovitch say that the 2028 Democratic presidential candidates should emphasize democracy reforms on the campaign trail. They say questions about whether Democrats should focus on democracy or affordability are a false choice. Economic and democratic issues are connected, the two scholars argue, because our current system is too broken to deliver strong outcomes for our citizens.
