History of Strong vs Weak Political Parties

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The historical context of the Cold War era shows how both Democrats and Republicans had unique strengths. Democrats dominated Congress for 40 years while Republicans were winning most presidential elections. This strong bipartisan situation led to peculiar election outcomes. Currently, the two major parties are considered weak, focusing more on criticizing the opponent rather than presenting clear policies or vision for the country. This contrasts with the past when both parties had distinct strong points, resulting in competitive yet effective governance.

Yascha Mounk and Yuval Levin discuss why neither Democrats nor Republicans have built a durable post-Cold War coalition—and how American politics could be transformed in 2028.

Yuval Levin is an academic and the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Levin is the author of A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream and, most recently, American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again.

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Yuval Levin discuss the different strands of post-Cold War American conservatism from the George W. Bush administration to the Tea Party and the “Reformicon” movements; why both Democrats and Republicans have failed to “make new friends while keeping the old”; and what conservative post-liberals miss about the value of American institutions.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarit y .

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