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Political Illusions
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
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Lee Drutman
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The moderation debate fiddles with 2% while democracy’s dimensionality collapses
Presidential vote now determines 98% of House outcomes. One-dimensional partisan conflict is authoritarian-friendly territory. Could fusion voting…
Oct 29, 2025
•
Lee Drutman
73
24
23
The state of our democracy is cracking and evaporating
A guide to the thermodynamics of our constitutional crisis. And how to phase change out of it.
Feb 19, 2025
•
Lee Drutman
32
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15
The presidential campaigns don’t need your $5
And the more they devote themselves to fundraising and advertising, the more broke our democracy gets.
Oct 8, 2024
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Lee Drutman
33
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The Surprisingly Predictable Reason Why Trump Nostalgia Is On the Rise
Memory plays deceptive (and sometimes dangerous) tricks on us. Yet arguing with people’s memories seldom succeeds.
May 23, 2024
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Lee Drutman
22
2
2
Are We Losing Our Democracy? Or Are We Losing Our Minds? Or Both?
Is America Really in Crisis, or Are Our Brains Just Wired to Think So? Yes.
Apr 24, 2024
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Lee Drutman
19
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What if It’s Not the Economy (Stupid)?
Why 2024 is shaping up to be a very strange presidential election.
Feb 1, 2024
•
Lee Drutman
18
4
Why You Might Be a Democracy Hypocrite (And Why I Might Be Too)
Blame it on the high-stakes partisan polarization that is putting our democracy on spongy ground.
Jan 5, 2024
•
Lee Drutman
19
8
8
Revealed! Exposed! Unbelievable! The shocking hypothesis why misinformation is out of control
A plea for treating misinformation as a demand problem
Sep 28, 2023
•
Lee Drutman
14
4
4
Our politics is only flat on the surface
Hidden possibilities lie beneath the dirt
Aug 1, 2023
•
Lee Drutman
21
2
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The Paradoxical Reason Republicans Win Elections Despite Unpopular Policies
Plus, exciting news from New Jersey
May 4, 2023
•
Lee Drutman
20
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