In this episode, we dive into Breaking Democracy’s Chains, the forthcoming book by Metin Pekin that offers one of the most provocative critiques of modern democracy in years. The book makes a sweeping structural argument: that the central problem facing contemporary democracies is not polarization, not bad leadership, and not ideological extremism—but the political party system itself. According to Pekin, parties have evolved into powerful gatekeepers that filter candidates, shape public narratives, manage donor networks, and even manufacture the sense of division that defines modern political life.