Undercurrent Events

“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.

Jun 11 • Lee Drutman

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May 2026

Campaign finance reform for a multiparty America

Some thoughts on managing the money when we upgrade our electoral system.

May 29 • Lee Drutman

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Why you can’t just ban gerrymandering

Fair maps require a definition of fair. There isn't one. There are infinite ones.

May 26 • Lee Drutman

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A brief, 237-year history of gerrymandering in America

Districting has never been “fair.” Maybe the problem is the districting.

May 19 • Lee Drutman

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Why Democracy Reforms (Not Affordability) Must Be the Focus of the Next Democratic Trifecta

A recording from Lee Drutman and Perry Bacon Jr's live video

May 13 • Lee Drutman, Perry Bacon Jr, and Mark Copelovitch

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The Supreme Court killed voting rights and escalated the gerrymandering wars. Here’s what Congress needs to do in response

The racial gerrymandering free-for-all is now on. The only real solution is proportional representation.

May 1 • Lee Drutman

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March 2026

The Democratic Party is about to make the most predictable mistake in American politics

Democrats will win in 2026 and 2028. The problem is winning in a system with a two-year half-life.

Mar 23 • Lee Drutman

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January 2026

Minneapolis Has Three of Four Ingredients for a Turning Point

A cascade may be forming. But does it have anywhere to land?

Jan 26 • Lee Drutman

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December 2025

Live with Joe Walsh

A recording from Lee Drutman and Joe Walsh's live video

Dec 23, 2025 • Lee Drutman and Joe Walsh

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Reflections on the five most popular Undercurrent Events of 2025

And the one piece I had the most fun writing. A year in review, Undercurrents style

Dec 18, 2025 • Lee Drutman

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November 2025

The next era could come sooner than you think

This Thanksgiving, let's be thankful for the possibility of renewal

Nov 26, 2025 • Lee Drutman and Grant Tudor

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How fusion voting builds the new parties that can break the two-party doom loop

Some reforms just rearrange the gridlock. This one unlocks the pieces that matter.

Nov 18, 2025 • Lee Drutman

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