A Conversation With Katherine Gehl: Will Changing The Way We Vote Improve Politics?
Sep 29, 2023
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Katherine Gehl, founder of The Institute for Political Innovation, discusses Final Five Voting, a system that aims to improve politics by changing incentives for elected officials. The podcast explores the impact of gerrymandering, the rise of independent candidates, and proposes Final Five voting as a solution to interrupt the self-reinforcing nature of the current political climate.
The current political system in Washington is designed to benefit the political industry and not the voters, perpetuating gridlock and dissatisfaction.
Final Five Voting aims to change the incentives of elected officials by eliminating party primaries and implementing instant runoff voting, promoting effective governance and problem-solving.
Deep dives
Washington is Fixed, Not Broken
The current political system in Washington is not broken but rather fixed to serve the interests of the political industry and not the voters. The rules and elections have been designed to benefit the political parties and their industry allies, thriving at the expense of citizen satisfaction. The system incentivizes politicians to cause gridlock and division, rather than solving problems, in order to appease party primary voters and secure reelection. This dynamic perpetuates the dissatisfaction of voters and undermines effective governance.
Final Five Voting: Reforming the Political System
Final Five Voting is a reform proposal for the US political system that aims to change the incentives of elected officials. It consists of two key reforms. Firstly, the elimination of party primaries and the implementation of a single primary where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, compete. Secondly, the use of instant runoff voting in the general election, where voters rank the top five candidates, allowing for a majority winner to be determined. This system seeks to shift the focus from winning elections towards delivering effective governance and problem-solving, breaking the cycle of gridlock.
Changing Incentives for Elected Officials
The current political industrial complex rewards elected officials for causing gridlock, division, and not solving problems. This is because such behavior appeals to primary voters and ensures their reelection. Final Five Voting aims to change these incentives by allowing politicians to be accountable to the entire electorate, not just a certain faction. By winning elections based on support from general election voters, politicians would have more freedom and agency to focus on finding consensus and working across party lines to address the nation's challenges.
Expanding the Pool of Political Talent
The current political system discourages talented individuals from entering politics and diminishes the pool of potential leaders. Final Five Voting presents an opportunity to attract more qualified and capable candidates into the political sphere by addressing two key issues. Firstly, it removes the need for candidates to cater to extreme positions during party primaries, encouraging a more diverse range of candidates. Secondly, it gives politicians the chance to make a difference and get things done by focusing on effective governance rather than partisan politics.
Katherine Gehl is the founder of The Institute for Political Innovation and co-author of “The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy,” with Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter. She is the architect and evangelist of a new approach to elections called "Final Five Voting" that she says it will help solve many of the problems in Washington by changing the incentives that guide our elected officials. On today's RCP Takeaway podcast, Gehl joins RealClearPolitics bureau chief Carl Cannon and moderator Andrew Walworth to discuss how our electoral system affects decision-making by public officials and whether Final Five Voting can change American politics for the better.
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