Lee Drutman

@leedrutman.bsky.social

Political scientist.
- Substack: https://leedrutman.substack.com
- Podcast: http://politicsinquestion.com
- Senior Fellow: New America
- Co-Founder: https://www.fixourhouse.org
- Washington Post Next 50 (2026): https://tinyurl.com/4m95978c

@verasight.ioReposted by @leedrutman.bsky.social

"You have these political elites in Washington say, well, voters are too stupid. They like things the way they are. And in fact... this poll shows it again, people actually really don't like the way things are. People are really hungry for shaking things up and doing something different."

@centerforballotfreedom.orgReposted by @leedrutman.bsky.social

THE LATEST FROM OUR SUBSTACK: People don't actually hate political parties. They hate that the government keeps failing them, and parties make an easy scapegoat. So what's the real fix? Two competing visions are on the table. 🧵

@leedrutman.bsky.social

Nothing unites people like a common enemy. This is one of the oldest truths in human psychology. Evolutionary anthropology has a lot to say on why. We have to live with this inheritance.

@andycraig.bsky.socialReposted by @leedrutman.bsky.social

I like Alaska's system, it's a worthwhile innovation (in a way top two is not), but it merits some consideration on why it's not exactly working as intended when this norm has quickly developed of lower-performing candidates dropping out and trying to game it so your party only has one GE candidate.

The Downballot@the-downballot.com

Caveat: The deadline to drop out is Monday, and Begich has suggested he might leave the race in favor of Kreiss-Tomkins. Also, the Republican in 5th place who would otherwise move up, AG Trey Taylor, may not get certified for violating campaign finance disclosure rules.

@povertyscholar.bsky.socialReposted by @leedrutman.bsky.social

I enjoyed being on the Politics in Question podcast in conversation with @awhf.bsky.social and (host) @leedrutman.bsky.social. We talk about building and breaking power, what that means, why it maters, and what is at stake.
www.politicsinquestion.com/episodes/bui...

politicsinquestion.comHow Do We Build and Break Power? — Politics In QuestionIn this episode of Politics in Question, Lee chats with Alex Hertel-Fernandez and Jamila Michener about what power building might look like for the next pro-democracy government. Hertel-Fernandez is...
@leedrutman.bsky.social

"The Supreme Court has closed off nearly every legal avenue for challenging partisan gerrymandering. The answer isn’t better maps. It’s proportional representation."
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/13/o...

bostonglobe.comGerrymandering won. It’s time to change the rules. - The Boston GlobeThe Supreme Court has closed off nearly every legal avenue for challenging partisan gerrymandering. The answer isn’t better maps. It’s proportional representation.
@mcopelov.bsky.socialReposted by @leedrutman.bsky.social

Today in "What folks really want, even if they can't yet grasp or articulate it, is <more> & <stronger> parties"

Lee Drutman@leedrutman.bsky.social

Voters are 2-to-1 favorable when asked about proportional representation. Full survey here: www.newamerica.org/insights/pro...

@leedrutman.bsky.social

"People are dissatisfied," he said. "People are frustrated. People don't have a language for how to talk about alternatives because they haven't really heard all that much about the alternatives, because we haven't had a national conversation about the alternatives yet."

Lee Drutman@leedrutman.bsky.social

"Amid growing frustration with both major political parties, voters are open to some big changes. A new poll... shows there is significant support for upending winner-take-all U.S. House elections and single-member congressional districts." www.npr.org/2026/08/10/n...

npr.orgVoters are sick of the 2-party system. A new poll shows they're open to big changesA new poll shows support for moving the U.S. toward proportional representation, a system that elects multiple representatives in a single district in rough proportion to a party's vote share.
@leedrutman.bsky.social

"Amid growing frustration with both major political parties, voters are open to some big changes.

A new poll... shows there is significant support for upending winner-take-all U.S. House elections and single-member congressional districts."

www.npr.org/2026/08/10/n...

npr.orgVoters are sick of the 2-party system. A new poll shows they're open to big changesA new poll shows support for moving the U.S. toward proportional representation, a system that elects multiple representatives in a single district in rough proportion to a party's vote share.
@mcopelov.bsky.socialReposted by @leedrutman.bsky.social

👇🎯 Today in "What everyone really wants is <more> & <stronger> parties"

bsky.app/profile/mcop...

Lee Drutman@leedrutman.bsky.social

The Democratic Party is and remains a heterodox coalition of factions, constrained by single-member districts to fight itself bitterly over what it wants to be when it finally grows up, wasting valuable resources. Alternative: it could be multiple parties.

@leedrutman.bsky.social

The Democratic Party is and remains a heterodox coalition of factions, constrained by single-member districts to fight itself bitterly over what it wants to be when it finally grows up, wasting valuable resources. Alternative: it could be multiple parties.

@leedrutman.bsky.social

"American politicians, including Georgia’s leaders, need to call a permanent truce in the gerrymandering wars... Other countries use proportional representation because it makes democracy stronger. We should join them."
www.ajc.com/opinion/2026...

ajc.comGeorgia Republicans reined in the gerrymandering war. Now change the system.The current congressional map for Georgia gives nine of 14 House seats to Republicans and five to Democrats, but Georgia is divided politically 50-50. The system must change.
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