Wednesday, January 26, 2022

The Two-Party System

FOR NEXT TIME: Rosenfeld, introduction, and ch. 1-3


Why only two parties?

Duverger's Law (Hershey, 39)


Why did the Framers not choose proportional representation?


Major parties coopt minor ones:
  • Bryan Democrats and Populism
  • Wilson Democrats and Progressivism
  • FDR Democrats and socialism, then Long (start at 13:30)
  • Nixon and the South
Structure of Congress and the legislatures forces members to choose one side or the other.



The doom loop:

















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