Tessera

"Which Proportional Voting System Best Fits America’s Constraints?" @sightline.org's Alan Durning looks at pros/cons of different PR methods &which organizing strategies have best chance to succeed "Ultimate success likely depends on unity among proponents" democracysos.substack.com/p/which-prop...

Which Proportional Voting System Best Fits America’s Constraints?

Constitutional design still favors two major parties, no matter the PR model

democracysos.substack.com

"End the Redistricting Wars by Adopting Proportional Representation: Gerrymandering persists because single-member districts allow it" I am one of 500 scholars who signed a joint letter to Congress: "We urge Congress to do what most democracies have already done: adopt PR" tinyurl.com/nhks9b93

Letter to Congress: End the Redistricting Wars by Adopting Proportional Representation

Gerrymandering persists because single-member districts allow it.

medium.com

"Social Security Faces a 2032 Crisis with Deep Benefit Cuts Ahead" Congress has no plan as a22% automatic cut looms in 2032 unless lawmakers act Amount of add'l funds for full benefits is 1.06% of nation’s GDP.Less than Trump admin proposed increase in military spending thefulcrum.us/economy/soci...

Social Security Faces a 2032 Crisis with Deep Benefit Cuts Ahead

Congress has no plan as a 22% automatic cut looms in 2032 unless lawmakers act.

thefulcrum.us

Steven Hill @stevenhill1776.bsky.social · 3w ago

"Shaky political 'science': breakdown of the peer review process" Our ongoing series highlighting really bad political science research re RankedChoiceVoting. Paper in Journal of UrbanResearch w multiple errors,yet paper cited by dozens of other researchers! democracysos.substack.com/p/shaky-poli...

Shaky political "science": breakdown of the peer review process

A jury of peer political scientists did not catch multiple errors and reject this sloppy research paper on RCV and voter turnout. Instead, this flawed paper has been cited by dozens of researchers

democracysos.substack.com

"Game of ‘Survivor’ in Maine Democrats’ Senate nominating convention" Maine Dems making big mistake by using “sequential runoff” process instead of “instant runoff”/RCV to nominate Senate candidate. Multiple round runoffs = divisive, instant runoff unifies democracysos.substack.com/p/game-of-su...

Game of ‘Survivor’ in Maine Democrats’ Senate nominating convention

Maine Democrats are making a big mistake by using a “sequential runoff” process instead of “instant runoff”/RCV to nominate their Senate candidate

democracysos.substack.com

Steven Hill @stevenhill1776.bsky.social · 4w ago

"Democracy, inequality and #SocialSecurity America's greatest anti-poverty program has long been the great income leveller in an unequal economy &democracy--now it faces cuts of 22% by 2032 democracysos.substack.com/p/democracy-... Here are my simple proposals to save it.Will Dems or Trump step up?

Democracy, inequality and Social Security

America's greatest anti-poverty program has long been the great income leveller in an unequal economy and democracy -- and now it faces an existential threat

democracysos.substack.com

Steven Hill @stevenhill1776.bsky.social · last mo.

"July 4th special: Jefferson vs. Madison on the subway" Jefferson and Madison arguing on the NY City subway. Are all men created "equal"? Really? How about women? The plot thickens...they bump into Orwell... Now on #DemocracySOS democracysos.substack.com/p/july-4th-s...

July 4th special: Jefferson vs. Madison on the subway

Are all "men" created "equal"? Really? Jefferson & Madison arguing on the NY City subway. How about women? The plot thickens...they bump into Orwell...

democracysos.substack.com

Steven Hill @stevenhill1776.bsky.social · last mo.

"Sinking deeper into Banana Republic quicksand" Trump & sons suspicious mining deal in Kazakhstan; new Supreme Court ruling opens door to more rampant corruption. The Orban-ization of America accelerates at a rapid pace. US = Trump's kleptocratic fiefdom democracysos.substack.com/p/sinking-de...

Sinking deeper into Banana Republic quicksand

Trump and sons suspicious mining deal in Kazakhstan; and new Supreme Court ruling opens the door to more rampant corruption

democracysos.substack.com

Steven Hill @stevenhill1776.bsky.social · last mo.

"California’s Top-Two Primary Has a Plurality Problem—And It's Easy to Fix" The good news is that the fix does not require a constitutional amendment, only a simple statute. CA can do the "Seattle plan" -- use Ranked Choice Voting in the primary election democracysos.substack.com/p/california...

California’s Top-Two Primary Has a Plurality Problem—And It's Easy to Fix

The good news is that the fix does not require a constitutional amendment, only a simple statute

democracysos.substack.com

"Warning: Donald Trump is still trying to find those 11,780 votes" Using presidential power, including illegal executive orders, Trump is preparing to steal Nov’s congressional elections. @DemocracySOS provides a breakdown of the plot that is unfolding democracysos.substack.com/p/warning-do...

Warning: Donald Trump is still trying to find those 11,780 votes

Using the power of the presidency, including illegal executive orders, Trump is preparing to steal November’s congressional elections

democracysos.substack.com

"America’s Summertime Blues: Why Consumers Feel Worse Than the Economic Data" Heightened anxiety about prices, affordability, wages being impacted by Iran war, oil prices, tariffs, even as employment & econ growth aren't so bad. Gonna be a long, uncertain summer thefulcrum.us/economy/infl...

America’s Summertime Blues: Why Consumers Feel Worse Than the Data

Americans brace for a shaky summer as inflation fears and uncertainty overshadow steady economic data.

thefulcrum.us

"The Democrats’ search for a national leader" Presidential polls show a scattered field of underwhelming candidates, even as Trump remains larger-than-life. DemocracySOS shines a spotlight on Gov Gavin Newsom's checkered record and many policy failures in CA democracysos.substack.com/p/the-democr...

The Democrats’ search for a national leader

Presidential polls show a scattered field of underwhelming candidates, even as Trump remains larger-than-life

democracysos.substack.com

"PG&E’s Poor Track Record Shows How California Leaders Failed Consumers" PG&Es governor-in-our-pocket Gavin Newsom has no chance of being elected president.Despite numerous felonies Gov has rewarded PGE w multiple rate increases & ballooning salaries for executives.WTH! thefulcrum.us/economy/pge-...

"Utility Tax" Outrage: PG&E's New Billing Punishes Energy Savers as Newsom and Regulators Fail to Rein in the Disaster-Prone Monopoly.

My phone call with my electric utility left me wondering: where are the political leaders who will rein in this untrustworthy company?

thefulcrum.us

"Time to upgrade CA’s Top Two primary to Top Five +RCV" CA gov's race shows anti-democratic tendencies of Top2 primary: Spoiler candidates,same-party final candidates,gaming to select "weakest" opponent,low turnout, marginalized 3rd parties &confused voters democracysos.substack.com/p/time-to-up...

Time to upgrade California’s Top Two primary to Top Five plus RCV

California governor's race shows -- once again -- the anti-democratic tendencies of the Top Two primary

democracysos.substack.com

"Slavery Claims and Drug Prices Cited in Trump’s New Tariff Plan" Trump is on tariff fishing expedition to find new ways to use tariffs as a POLITICAL weapon, not economic. See "fake" trade hearings citing “forced labor” &drug price disputes to justify broad new tariffs thefulcrum.us/economy/us-s...

Slavery Claims and Drug Prices Cited in Trump’s New Tariff Plan

Trade hearings cite “forced labor” and drug‑price disputes to justify broad new tariffs.

thefulcrum.us

"Why toxic redistricting battles may make it harder to enact proportional representation" Why would Democrats or Republicans in the various states enact a reform that will help their "evil enemy" more than themselves? See my state-based analysis democracysos.substack.com/p/why-toxic-...

Why toxic redistricting battles may make it harder to enact proportional representation

Why would Democrats or Republicans in the various states enact an electoral reform that will help their "evil enemy" more than themselves?

democracysos.substack.com

"Is Open List PR the best path to racial representation? Or will it undermine it?" Post-SCOTUS decision strangling the Voting Rights Act what method of PR will best preserve racial diversity in legislatures? Open List PR = problems for minority candidates democracysos.substack.com/p/is-open-li...

Is Open List PR the best path to racial representation? Or will it undermine it?

In the aftermath of SCOTUS strangling the Voting Rights Act, what method of PR will best preserve racial diversity in legislatures?

democracysos.substack.com

"SCOTUS voting rights demolition opens door to better representation" VRA was always a devils bargain: 1. More minority representation = fewer Dems elected 2.Most minorities lived in non-VRA districts &still had no representation, &more. PR would be better democracysos.substack.com/p/scotus-vot...

SCOTUS voting rights demolition opens door to better representation

Advocates for proportional representation see their opening – but they are already making mistakes

democracysos.substack.com

Former VT state legislator Terry Bouricius says randomly-selected assemblies would provide better governance than elected legislatures. Governance by jury pool/lottery/sortition is becoming more popular, gaining the public's trust. What do you think? democracysos.substack.com/p/would-rand...

Would randomly selected assemblies provide better governance than elected legislatures?

Governance by jury pool/lottery/sortition is becoming more popular, showing promise in gaining the public's trust

democracysos.substack.com

Washington Monthly @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social · 4mo ago

"Shaky political science: using research data from 'simulated' RCV elections instead of from real-world elections led to flawed conclusions. @newamerica.org's sponsored research was well-meaning but based on poor methodology & basic misunderstandings of RCV democracysos.substack.com/p/shaky-poli...

Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections

New America’s sponsored RCV research was well-meaning but based on flawed methodology and basic misunderstandings of RCV

democracysos.substack.com

Orbán's electoral manipulations created a system so volatile that a modest popular swing wiped out his supermajority, @stevenhill1776.bsky.social writes.

How Viktor Orbán Got Rolled by His Own Gerrymander

Orbán's electoral manipulations created a system so volatile that a modest popular swing wiped out his supermajority. Sound familiar?

washingtonmonthly.com

"Orbán’s blunder: his gerrymander backfired, giving the opposition 87% of district seats" Orbán manipulated the rules and regs of his “python democracy” to strangle democracy itself. Yet it was those very rules that ultimately backfired on Orbán/Fidesz democracysos.substack.com/p/orbans-blu...

Orbán’s blunder: his gerrymander backfired, giving the opposition 87% of district seats

[Welcome to DemocracySOS, a newsletter about the failings of America’s “winner take all” democracy, as well as proposed reforms and solutions.

democracysos.substack.com

"With Oil Prices Rising, Is Dreaded Stagflation Making a Comeback?" Economic signals are mixed, but much depends on how long war against Iran lasts & impact on oil prices. Pentagon $200 bn supplemental request = White House doesn’t seem to think war with Iran is over thefulcrum.us/economy/glob...

With Oil Prices Rising, Is Dreaded Stagflation Making a Comeback?

The economic signals are mixed, but a lot depends on how long the war against Iran lasts, and its impact on the price of oil.

thefulcrum.us

"Sheriffs ready to steal elections…to save elections?" In CA, an attempt to confiscate ballots involving a rogue sheriff & judge may have revealed playbook for TeamTrump in this Nov's elections, as "constitutional sheriffs" prepare to enact electoral chaos democracysos.substack.com/p/sheriffs-r...

Sheriffs ready to steal elections…to save elections?

In California, an attempt to confiscate ballots involving a sheriff and a judge may well have revealed the playbook for Team Trump in November

democracysos.substack.com

"Legal drama in Maine over RCV: when is a majority also a plurality?" A Maine supreme court ruling will likely decide if RCV can be used in its upcoming governor election Why are so many elections run with a method that doesn't ensure majority winners? democracysos.substack.com/p/legal-dram...

Legal drama in Maine over RCV: when is a majority also a plurality?

A forthcoming state supreme court ruling will likely decide if Maine can use RCV in its upcoming gubernatorial election

democracysos.substack.com

"Stop Fighting, Start Fixing: This Is How We Rebuild Democracy" From @meredithsumpter.bsky.social @fairvote.bsky.social with sound insights and advice. Sane voices, trying to bring the nation together in perilous times, are sorely needed democracysos.substack.com/p/stop-fight...

Stop Fighting, Start Fixing: This Is How We Rebuild Democracy

Sane voices, trying to bring the nation together in perilous times, are sorely needed

democracysos.substack.com