The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Democracy in crisis, part 2: The two-party problem


Listen Later

Just how worried should we be about the future of American democracy? This is the question at the center of a two-part series from Vox Conversations and host Zack Beauchamp.

For part two, Zack talks with political scientist Lee Drutman, author of Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop. They discuss the history of the two-party system in American politics, and examine a number of possible structural reforms that could work to get the U.S. out of the morass it's in, looking to several other countries' democracies for inspiration.

And, if you missed it, check out part one in this series, a lively debate between Zack and the New York Times's Ross Douthat, on just how close we are to political violence, authoritarianism, and democratic breakdown.

Host: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Guest: Lee Drutman (@leedrutman), senior fellow, New America

References: 

  • "How does this end?" by Zack Beauchamp (Vox; Jan. 3)
  • Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America (Oxford; 2020)
  • "Democracy in America? Partisanship, Polarization, and the Robustness of Support for Democracy in the United States" by Matthew H. Graham and Milan W. Svolik (American Political Science Review, 114 (2); May 2020)
  • "One way to reform the House of Representatives? Expand it" by Lee Drutman and Yuval Levin (Washington Post; Dec. 9, 2021)


    Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
    • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      The Gray Area with Sean IllingBy Vox

      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      10,473 ratings


      More shows like The Gray Area with Sean Illing

      View all
      Fresh Air by NPR

      Fresh Air

      37,996 Listeners

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      3,875 Listeners

      Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

      Gastropod

      3,595 Listeners

      Switched on Pop by Vulture

      Switched on Pop

      2,604 Listeners

      Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

      Decoder with Nilay Patel

      3,115 Listeners

      Explain It to Me by Vox

      Explain It to Me

      7,850 Listeners

      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,572 Listeners

      Pivot by New York Magazine

      Pivot

      8,804 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      111,539 Listeners

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes by Vulture

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

      1,441 Listeners

      Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

      Radio Atlantic

      2,268 Listeners

      Today, Explained by Vox

      Today, Explained

      10,076 Listeners

      The Cut by Vox Media Podcast Network

      The Cut

      1,585 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      6,609 Listeners

      Future Perfect by Vox

      Future Perfect

      589 Listeners

      Throughline by NPR

      Throughline

      15,861 Listeners

      Land of the Giants by Vulture

      Land of the Giants

      2,146 Listeners

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

      23,607 Listeners

      The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

      The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

      5,025 Listeners

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

      585 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,358 Listeners

      Celebrity Memoir Book Club by celebritymemoirbookclub@gmail.com

      Celebrity Memoir Book Club

      6,209 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      15,222 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,144 Listeners

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

      5,905 Listeners

      Offline with Jon Favreau by Crooked Media

      Offline with Jon Favreau

      2,197 Listeners

      The Interview by The New York Times

      The Interview

      1,424 Listeners

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

      141 Listeners

      On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

      On with Kara Swisher

      3,154 Listeners

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

      1,688 Listeners

      Served with Andy Roddick by Served with Andy Roddick

      Served with Andy Roddick

      864 Listeners

      Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Prof G Markets

      838 Listeners