HBR IdeaCast

Applying Porter’s Five Forces to Fix U.S. Politics

8 snips
Jun 23, 2020
Katherine Gehl, former CEO and founder of the Institute for Political Innovation, teams up with Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor renowned for competitive strategy. Together, they explore the dysfunctional nature of U.S. politics using Porter's Five Forces framework. They argue that a duopoly between the major parties stifles innovation and citizen engagement. Their innovative solutions include nonpartisan primaries and ranked-choice voting, aiming to enhance competition and better serve the public, ultimately reigniting democracy.
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INSIGHT

Politics as a Duopoly

  • The U.S. political system, analyzed with Porter's Five Forces, reveals high barriers to entry for new parties.
  • The public holds little power in this "duopoly" market dominated by Republicans and Democrats.
INSIGHT

Cooperative Rivalry

  • Republicans and Democrats, despite being rivals, collaborate in setting rules.
  • This cooperation reinforces their duopoly and limits effective competition.
ANECDOTE

Gridlock and Fundraising

  • Issues like immigration reform have majority support.
  • However, it's not in either party's interest to compromise, as gridlock fuels fundraising.
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