Sign in

Lee Drutman

@leedrutman.bsky.social
12K followers 1.1K following 856 posts

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

PostsRepliesMedia
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
“An amicus brief before the Supreme Court that “a chaotic election erodes confidence in the result.” For a president long obsessed with undermining Americans’ trust in elections, perhaps that’s victory enough. “ Yep www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
Rules Designed to Create Chaos
The Trump administration is hoping to put so many restrictions on mail-in balloting that people simply won’t be able to vote that way at all.
170
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
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.
060
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
MAGA is and remains a minority faction that is empowered by our winner-take-all two-party system to be a ruling party. www.umass.edu/poll/
2112
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Since we're discussing the Senate again... leedrutman.substack.com/p/wither-the...
1154
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
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.
3835
Reposted by Lee Drutman
New America @newamerica.org · 24/08/2026
The U.S. has one of the widest age gaps between legislators and the people they represent in the world. New America's Oscar Pocasangre breaks down America's gerontocracy means for democracy. 🗞️ Read the @protectdemocracy.org + New America report: go.newamerica.org/age-divide-geront…
0159
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Jamila Michener @povertyscholar.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
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.com
How Do We Build and Break Power? — Politics In Question
In 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...
22410
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
"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.com
Gerrymandering won. It’s time to change the rules. - The Boston Globe
The Supreme Court has closed off nearly every legal avenue for challenging partisan gerrymandering. The answer isn’t better maps. It’s proportional representation.
1189
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Today in "What folks really want, even if they can't yet grasp or articulate it, is <more> & <stronger> parties"
0283
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Voters are 2-to-1 favorable when asked about proportional representation. Full survey here: www.newamerica.org/insights/pro...
0153
Reposted by Lee Drutman
The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 10/08/2026
America wasn't supposed to have two parties forever @leedrutman.bsky.social traces how Progressive-era "reforms" accidentally locked the two-party system in place.
theunpopulist.net
Fixing America's Negative Polarization With Proportional Representation: A Conversation With Lee Drutman
Presidentialism plus single-member districts is a bad combination that incentivizes leaders to consolidate power by fueling division.
0218
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
"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."
1247
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
"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.org
Voters are sick of the 2-party system. A new poll shows they're open to big changes
A 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.
3185
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Exactly! www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/o...
2132
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
👇🎯 Today in "What everyone really wants is <more> & <stronger> parties" bsky.app/profile/mcop...
0133
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
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.
4156
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
"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.com
Georgia 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.
193
Reposted by Lee Drutman
🗽LOLGOP🗽 @lolgop.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
If @sbagen.bsky.social thinks fusion voting is the future of democracy in Michigan, I'd better figure out what it is!
1165
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
This conversation with @sbagen.bsky.social is well worth your time: substack.com/home/post/p-...
0125
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
No, there are lots of countries w/ multiparty PR legislatures and a presidential system. It's the combination of FPTP legislature and presidential that's the really weird outlier, only the US and a handful of countries in Africa. PR + presidential has many examples. see @leedrutman.bsky.social:
democracyjournal.org
PR and Presidentialism: Yes, We Can
A myth haunts conversations about proportional representation in America. It is the belief that proportional representation requires a parliamentary system. We’re here to kill this myth. As comparativ...
242
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
"Today, as states across the South enter another consequential period of redistricting, he is lending his name to an effort aimed at changing not just where congressional boundaries are drawn, but how Americans elect members of Congress in the first place." www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news...
cbsnews.com
UGA historian says proportional representation could reshape redistricting, Black political influence in Georgia
Renowned historian James C. Cobb told CBS News Atlanta why he joined 500+ scholars urging Congress to rethink winner-take-all elections after SCOTUS's Callais ruling.
141
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Dan Cantor @danielcantor.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Fusion voting gives new parties a chance to prove their strength, build constituencies, and earn real influence without acting as spoilers.
1159
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
This is a cool dashboard.
4237
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Proud to have signed this
922541
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Spooky Back From The Dead Lazarus @jlazarus.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
I signed this, along with many colleagues both on and off this website. PR would go a long way toward addressing the most fundamental problems with American democracy, and Congress can do it without amending the Constitution. It's time we start taking this reform seriously.
0188
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
<ThisIsTheWay.gif>
415745
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
More than 500 scholars agree: "We write to urge Congress to do what most democracies have already done: adopt proportional representation." proud to be among them. medium.com/@scholars-re...
medium.com
Letter to Congress: End the Redistricting Wars by Adopting Proportional Representation
Gerrymandering persists because single-member districts allow it.
615765
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 20/07/2026
Winner-take-all voting isn’t the only type of electoral system out there. Let’s talk about fusion voting.
185
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Electoral reform in the US has often pursued an anti-party route, but there's a growing critique of how that impulse has been ineffective or even backfired. Instead, party-strengthening and pro-multiparty reforms like PR are gaining steam. I sat down with @leedrutman.bsky.social to talk about why.
theunpopulist.net
Fixing America's Negative Polarization With Proportional Representation: A Conversation With Lee Drutman
Presidentialism plus single-member districts is a bad combination that incentivizes leaders to consolidate power by fueling division.
15618
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Adam Gurri @adamgurri.liberalcurrents.com · 26/06/2026
Also apropos of this, @leedrutman.bsky.social is completely correct that "open primaries" are a reform in the completely wrong direction, and the groups pushing that as a solution should get out of the way of people that know what they're talking about open.substack.com/pub/leedrutm...
open.substack.com
“Open the primaries” is the wrong answer to the right question
Why isn't November the election that matters? Single-member districts are the problem. Primary reform doesn't fix that.
33710
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Good explainer from @leedrutman.bsky.social on why open primaries as a major reform idea is as Mencken put it, "clear, simple, and wrong." I'd do away with partisan voter registration altogether which inherently opens the primaries, as many states already do. But it makes no difference to outcomes.
substack.com
“Open the primaries” is the wrong answer to the right question
Why isn't November the election that matters? Single-member districts are the problem. Primary reform doesn't fix that.
817222
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Steven S Smith @profstevensmith.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
@leedrutman.bsky.social is right--seriously right--about the need for proportional representation for House elections. substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
“Open the primaries” is the wrong answer to the right question
Why isn't November the election that matters? Single-member districts are the problem. Primary reform doesn't fix that.
23111
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Monica Potts @monicapotts.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
More evidence that voters truly do not think about policy in the ways pundits think they do.
2329
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
I see we've reached the stage of gladiator fights to entertain the aging and disturbed emperor.
1204
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I regret to inform you all that "open the primaries to independents" is an inadequate solution to restoring sanity to Washington. leedrutman.substack.com/p/open-the-p...
leedrutman.substack.com
“Open the primaries” is the wrong answer to the right question
Why isn't November the election that matters? Single-member districts are the problem. Primary reform doesn't fix that.
1248
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Mark is correct. There are no "fair maps" under single-member districts. leedrutman.substack.com/p/why-you-ca...
leedrutman.substack.com
Why you can’t just ban gerrymandering
Fair maps require a definition of fair. There isn't one. There are infinite ones.
15823
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Stephen Wolf @stephenwolf.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
“fragmented party systems do not paralyze policymaking; they generate the bargaining space in which policymaking happens. A two-party system offers exactly one available bargain: the other side. When that bargain is refused, nothing moves. A multiparty system always offers another partner.”
1145
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
"Fragmentation, in short, is not the threat to American governance. Its absence is." electionlawblog.org?p=156552
electionlawblog.org
Michael Latner: A Response to Rick Pildes on Proportional Representation and Fragmentation #ELB
The following is a guest post from Michael Latner: Richard Pildes’ thoughtful essay on yesterday’s Election Law Blog distinguishes two lines of debate over the virtues of proportional representation t...
030
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 02/06/2026
Gerrymandering traps voters in a never-ending doom loop. One way out? Multi-member districts, proportional representation—and yes, fusion voting. @ezraklein.bsky.social @leedrutman.bsky.social @nytopinion.nytimes.com @newamerica.org @politicalreform.newamerica.org www.nytimes.com/video/opinio...
nytimes.com
Video: Opinion | How to End the Gerrymandering Doom Loop Forever
The political scientist Lee Drutman argues that we should switch to a system of proportional representation and put an end to our “trench warfare politics.”
0125
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
I look forward to a future America when we have proportional representation and wonder what was so special about single-member districts that we kept them around even as they failed at their only purpose: enabling voters to choice their representatives. leedrutman.substack.com/p/a-brief-23...
leedrutman.substack.com
A brief, 237-year history of gerrymandering in America
Districting has never been “fair.” Maybe the problem is the districting.
0248
Reposted by Lee Drutman
Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 01/06/2026
What gives us hope? Movements that expand democracy instead of shrinking it. We support fusion voting, which gives voters more choices, encourages coalition-building, and creates a politics that’s less polarized and more representative. @msifry.bsky.social theconnector.substack.com/p/what-gives...
theconnector.substack.com
What Gives Us Hope?
Seventeen organizers, politicians, academics and media makers from my "This Old Democracy" on how they are coping with our challenging times.
03216
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
campaign finance reform has to accompany electoral system reform. And the reform has to encourage healthy parties, not keep gutting them. leedrutman.substack.com/p/campaign-f...
leedrutman.substack.com
Campaign finance reform for a multiparty America
Some thoughts on managing the money when we upgrade our electoral system.
060
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Perhaps a candidate running as underdog this Nov. should say something like: Hey, I'm running as a D/R because we have a two-party system, but if you vote for me, I'll work every day to break this two-party system that you all dislike so much. Who knows: maybe it will break through?
062
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
"A system employing proportional representation could halt gerrymandering — and the damage it does to representative democracy — in its tracks" www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
washingtonpost.com
Opinion | How to escape the gerrymandering trap
Gerrymandering is breaking American democracy. Here's how other countries solved it.
182
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Or we could count on the courts to police gerrymandering. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/u...
nytimes.com
Judge Allows Florida House Map That Could Add 4 Republican Seats
080
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Everybody thinks you can just ban gerrymandering. But finding a standard is not so easy, when there are dozens of dimensions of fairness, infinite trade-offs, partisan lawyers ready to pounce on any deviation, and control of Congress perpetually at stake. 1/
171
Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Okay Aaron, what's your solution then? The whole argument of this piece is that there is a solution: proportional representation. But fine, if you want to defend a broken status quo of single-member districts, please make that argument.
270