In this ground-breaking book, Katy Milkman reveals a proven path to help readers move from where they are to where they want to be. Drawing on her original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, Milkman shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. The book offers innovative approaches like 'temptation bundling,' using timely reminders, and creating 'set-it-and-forget-it systems' to make change more achievable. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring solutions to specific roadblocks and using science to stack the deck in favor of successful change.
Lee Drutman's "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop" delves into the structural and historical factors contributing to the dominance of the two-party system in the United States. The book argues that this system hinders effective governance and representation, leading to political gridlock and voter dissatisfaction. Drutman proposes alternative models of multi-party democracy, advocating for electoral reforms that would foster greater competition and inclusivity. He explores the potential benefits of such reforms, including increased voter engagement and a more responsive political system. The book challenges readers to reconsider the conventional wisdom surrounding the two-party system and envision a more representative and functional democracy.
In *Uncivil Agreement*, Lilliana Mason examines the growing social gulf across racial, religious, and cultural lines that have come to divide neatly between the two major political parties. She argues that group identifications have altered the way people think and feel about themselves and their opponents. Even when Democrats and Republicans can agree on policy outcomes, they tend to view each other with distrust and prioritize party victory. Mason combines theory from political science and social psychology to describe this 'social' type of polarization in American politics, highlighting its impact on democracy and political engagement.
In 'The Semi-Sovereign People', E.E. Schattschneider critiques pluralist theories of democracy, arguing that a competitive party system is essential for citizen participation in decision-making. He highlights the upper-class bias in pressure group politics and advocates for a more inclusive political process through party competition.
This book provides a comparative analysis of American democracy, examining its political institutions such as constitutions, electoral systems, and political parties, in comparison to thirty other democracies. It offers insights into how these differences impact democratic performance and challenges the notion of American exceptionalism.
We talk a lot on this show about the problems with American political institutions. But what if all those problems are actually just one problem: the two-party system.
Lee Drutman is a political scientist, senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, co-host of the podcast Politics in Question, and most recently the author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America, which makes the best case against America’s two-party system that I’ve ever read.
In Drutman’s telling, the reason our politics have gotten so toxic is simple: Toxicity is the core incentive of any two-party system. American democracy was only stable at mid-century because we functionally had a four-party system that kept the temperature of political combat from overheating, and the only way to achieve a similar homeostasis is by recreating that kind of system (which Drutman has a four-part plan to do).
I'm convinced by a lot of Drutman’s analysis, but I tend toward skepticism that the two-party system is the source of our political ills, which makes this a really fun, dynamic conversation.
Book recommendations:
The Semi-Sovereign People by E.E. Schattschneider
Uncivil Agreement by Liliana Mason
A Different Democracy by Steven L. Taylor, Matthew Soberg Shugart, Arend Lijphart, Bernard Grofman
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