The Republican Party's Quest for Broader Appeal and Democratic Strength

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This chapter explores the Republican Party's efforts to expand its appeal to diverse segments of the American electorate and strengthen democracy. It discusses the party's use of institutions and practices like voter suppression, demographic changes in the electorate, and the role of race in voter preferences. The chapter raises questions about the party's ability to win majorities and the need for a more diverse party to ensure better outcomes for democracy.

Steven Levitsky is the David Rockefeller professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard University, and Daniel Ziblatt is the Eaton Professor of the Science of Government at Harvard University. They are the authors, jointly, of How Democracies Die. Their latest book is Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point.

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt discuss the extent to which American institutions distort our politics by excessively thwarting majority governance; whether or not the American electorate is polarizing, or depolarizing, by race; and whether American democracy is better served by pursuing institutional reform or by tailoring Democratic Party strategy to the system as it exists.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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