For many voters, recent elections have felt existential. They’re not wrong: The stakes are as high as they appear to be. 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-versus-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 toward collaboratively addressing our country’s most pressing challenges.