Friday, September 18, 2026
LWV-Downeast
It's been five years since we did a show on our two-party system and the future of American democracy. But the topic is still very much of interest. Party membership is declining, and both major parties seem to be suffering from voter frustration and anger. With a functioning democracy hanging by a thread, is the two-party system still the best way to govern?
Special guests:
- Lee Drutman, Senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America
- Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Associate Professor of American Government
Learn more about this topic at the links below:
- The Fault Lines within the Republican Party: What is Dividing MAGA? | Vivekananda International Foundation, September 2026
- Moderate Democrats Prepare for ‘War’ Against an Ascendant Left | The New York Times, August 2026
- Proportional representation has majority support in new poll : NPR, August 2026
- Party Affiliation Fact Sheet (NPORS) | Pew Research Center, July 2026
- Beyond Red vs. Blue: The 2026 Political Typology | Pew Research Center, June 2026
- Pew survey reveals a rainbow of beliefs within red v. blue politics | Courthouse News Service, June 2026
- A Generational Fracture Emerges for Republicans Over Foreign Policy - The New York Times, May 2026
- Moderate Democrats Prepare for ‘War’ Against an Ascendant Left - The New York Times.
- How Americans feel about the Republican and Democratic parties | Pew Research Center, October 2025
- The Two-party System and the Future of Our Democracy |Democracy Forum, October 2021
- Political Parties: Do They Still Matter? | Democracy Forum, October 2017
Tune into the broadcast at 4:00 p.m., Friday, September 18, on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, streaming at weru.org. If you miss the broadcast, check back here for the audio archive. Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes | Spotify | Android.