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Decoding how 50% of Americans say they are Independent but have to choose between two political parties with John Opdycke
On this episode of AI: Decodes the System, AI shares a recording of a panel she moderated for Open Primaries with John Opdycke, Jeremy Gruber, Danny Ortega, and Mayor Danny Holt. The conversation covered a groundbreaking new report from the Open Primaries Education Fund -The Next Great Migration: The Rise of Independent Voters. This report lays out the dramatic increase in Americans from diverse backgrounds and politics registering to vote as independents. The short bios from the panelist are listed below:
- David Holt has been the Mayor of Oklahoma City since 2018, and for his first year in office was the youngest mayor of a U.S. city over 500,000. A Republican, Holt is also Oklahoma City’s first Native American mayor. He served in the Oklahoma Senate from 2010 to 2018.
- Danny Ortega, an attorney and longtime advocate for community empowerment based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the former Board Chair of Unidos US (formerly National Council of La Raza). He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Foundation.
- Jeremy Gruber, Senior Vice President of Open Primaries and co-author with Opdycke of The Next Great Migration: The Rise of Independent Voters.
- John Opdycke, President of Open Primaries and Senior Advisor to the Electoral Innovation Lab at Princeton University.
Event description:
The Zoom event paired the authors of this new research with leading political figures for an engaging conversation on how to dismantle the partisan barriers that are keeping Americans apart.
Independent voters are now the largest or second largest group of voters in half the states and will be the largest or second largest group of voters in almost every state in the country within a few years at current rates of growth. Party registration is declining in both red and blue states.
Yet we continue to operate within an electoral framework--and corresponding media paradigm--that assumes that party membership is the default. This is most obvious in closed primaries but it infects all aspects of politics including redistricting, campaign finance laws and procedures, election administration and enforcement--even who is allowed to serve as a poll worker on election day.
Our election system does not reflect America. This has a profound effect on partisanship and polarization. Appreciating why so many Americans are identifying as independents--and choosing to register to vote as such despite the negative consequences--is important for political reformers, journalists, candidates and elected officials working to chart a new path forward.
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AI: Decodes the System: Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok
Find us on Clubhouse at @AiDecodes.
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
Support the show
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
If you like the content, feel free to support the show by donating to my Patreon account at the link below: https://www.patreon.com/Aidecodes
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By Amber Ivey (AI)
5
2424 ratings
On this episode of AI: Decodes the System, AI shares a recording of a panel she moderated for Open Primaries with John Opdycke, Jeremy Gruber, Danny Ortega, and Mayor Danny Holt. The conversation covered a groundbreaking new report from the Open Primaries Education Fund -The Next Great Migration: The Rise of Independent Voters. This report lays out the dramatic increase in Americans from diverse backgrounds and politics registering to vote as independents. The short bios from the panelist are listed below:
- David Holt has been the Mayor of Oklahoma City since 2018, and for his first year in office was the youngest mayor of a U.S. city over 500,000. A Republican, Holt is also Oklahoma City’s first Native American mayor. He served in the Oklahoma Senate from 2010 to 2018.
- Danny Ortega, an attorney and longtime advocate for community empowerment based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the former Board Chair of Unidos US (formerly National Council of La Raza). He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Foundation.
- Jeremy Gruber, Senior Vice President of Open Primaries and co-author with Opdycke of The Next Great Migration: The Rise of Independent Voters.
- John Opdycke, President of Open Primaries and Senior Advisor to the Electoral Innovation Lab at Princeton University.
Event description:
The Zoom event paired the authors of this new research with leading political figures for an engaging conversation on how to dismantle the partisan barriers that are keeping Americans apart.
Independent voters are now the largest or second largest group of voters in half the states and will be the largest or second largest group of voters in almost every state in the country within a few years at current rates of growth. Party registration is declining in both red and blue states.
Yet we continue to operate within an electoral framework--and corresponding media paradigm--that assumes that party membership is the default. This is most obvious in closed primaries but it infects all aspects of politics including redistricting, campaign finance laws and procedures, election administration and enforcement--even who is allowed to serve as a poll worker on election day.
Our election system does not reflect America. This has a profound effect on partisanship and polarization. Appreciating why so many Americans are identifying as independents--and choosing to register to vote as such despite the negative consequences--is important for political reformers, journalists, candidates and elected officials working to chart a new path forward.
Social Media
AI: Decodes the System: Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok
Find us on Clubhouse at @AiDecodes.
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
Support the show
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
If you like the content, feel free to support the show by donating to my Patreon account at the link below: https://www.patreon.com/Aidecodes