Join Harry and Philip to learn more about the two-party system and alternative multi-party political set-ups. We discuss what they each are, how they come about, advantages, disadvantages, and American lessons.

Next week, you don't want to miss our conversation with Benjamin Singer, Executive Director at Show Me Integrity, as we talk over possible avenues for improving America's two-party politics.

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Further Reading

• Patterns of Democracy, by Arend Lijphart
• “Electoral Systems: A Primer for Decision Makers,” by Donald L. Horowitz in Journal of Democracy.“
• Constitutional Choices for New Democracies,” by Arend Lijphart in Journal of Democracy.“
• Trudeau Wins, but Is Diminished by a Futile Election,” by Ian Austin and Dan Bilefsky in The New York Times.
• “Why America’s 2-party system is on a collision course with our constitutional democracy,” by Lee Drutman in Vox.

Table of Contents

00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping

00:22 - Recap

01:46 - Today's topic

04:31 - Two-Party System: How it works and why it happens

11:26 - Multi-Party System: How it works and why it happens

15:07 - Two-Party: Problems

17:16 - Two-Party: American Problems

22:29 - Multi-Party: Solutions

25:37 - Multi-Party: Problems

29:31 - Two-Party: Solutions

31:43 - Which is superior?

34:55 - The takeaway + Next week's topic

36:10 - Signing Off