Shifted momentum towards proportional multi-member districts through original research, organizing hundreds of top political scientists to publicly speak out, and generating new media coverage.
Shaping the Democracy of Tomorrow
Our Work
Democracy requires institutions that inspire faith — that our political system is representative and responsive, that civic participation is valuable, and that democracy can deliver for the people.
For many voters, recent elections have felt existential. They’re not wrong — the stakes are as high as they seem. This seemingly endless cycle is no accident: our electoral system is particularly vulnerable to the global authoritarian wave. Polarization and a strict two party system have empowered a small authoritarian faction to gain control of one of the two parties. As a result, every election has become an “us vs. them” battle wherein democracy itself seems to hang in the balance.
A country as large and as diverse as the United States demands a democracy that facilitates healthy competition, robust representation, and pluralism in our politics. Yet our electoral system:
– Disadvantages minority voices;
– Stifles competition;
– Limits the number of political parties;
– Escalates extremism;
– Limits voter choice; and
– Exacerbates political violence.
Stopping the authoritarian threat requires bold and ambitious long-term strategies to ensure that the Democracy of Tomorrow better reflects the will of all Americans and is oriented towards collaboratively addressing our country’s most pressing challenges.
- Replacing winner-take-all elections with a more proportional system of representation.
- Advocating for more and better political parties that responsibly promote democracy.
- Legalizing fusion voting to help break the two-party doom loop.
Advanced several provisions of the Protecting Our Democracy Act, a package of democratic guardrails reforms we helped Congressional leaders assemble, which were signed into law by President Biden.
Impact in the News
Political Violence & US Democracy Political Violence & US Democracy
Proportional representation, explained
Proportional representation is an electoral system that elects multiple representatives in each district in proportion to the number of people who vote for them.
December 5, 2023
Op-ed: The Thanksgiving table approach to fixing American politics
OP-ED: Our country’s strength comes from diversity of opinion. Let’s design our elections accordingly.
November 23, 2023
There’s a way to fix gerrymandering (and it’s not through the courts)
There's a law on the books that makes gerrymandering much easier than it would otherwise be.
May 7, 2023
Americans Deserve a House of Representatives That Better Represents Them
A right-wing minority has outsized power in the House today. With proportional representation, that problem would be much less likely.
January 19, 2023
I’m suing New Jersey because I shouldn’t have to vote for a Democrat or a Republican
Every election, I’m barred from honestly expressing my views at the ballot box.
December 1, 2022
Why Would Viktor Orbán, the Self-Proclaimed Champion of Illiberal Democracy, Find Inspiration in the U.S. Electoral System?
Protect Democracy's Farbod Faraji partners with Lee Drutman to write about the US's role in Viktor Orbán's rise to power.
August 3, 2022
Without Fusion Voting, It’s an Uphill Climb for Independents Like Missouri’s John Wood
It doesn’t have to be this way. Missouri and dozens of other states could bring back fusion voting, which was lawful and practiced nationwide throughout the 1800s.
July 14, 2022
Will the Utah Senate Race Break the Partisan Doom Loop?
Evan McMullin and Utah Democrats are reviving an old American tradition: fusion voting.
May 11, 2022