Starting a thread of what I consider to be a few of the most important points in @leedrutman book. One of which is making the case for “proportional democracy” and the lessons from other countries where a MMP (“mixed member proportional”) system has proven to be working! https://twitter.com/leedrutman/status/1214555457702047744

Page 256: “we don’t know what happens when almost half of adult citizens refuse to affiliate with a major party. But we should worry. High levels of party disaffiliation correlate with low support for representative democracy.”

Page 256: “Bad things happen to democracies when large numbers of citizens feel alienated and unrepresented. Parties are the essential institutions connecting citizens with governing. When citizens disconnect from parties, this is fertile ground for anti-system demagogues.”

Page 256: “Faith and trust in the political system are hitting dangerous lows... a political system can’t lose the trust of overwhelming majorities for an extended period and still thrive. Eventually, anti-system attitudes empower anti-system candidates promising to blow it up.”

The previous three tweets in this thread are possibly the most important things I have ever tweeted? If you agree, RT, buy @leedrutman’s book, and support the electoral reform movement that is made up of great people working to fix a broken system that puts #votersfirst!

Page 261: “Here’s what...to say to any (current) lawmaker considering reform: The current system is unsustainable. You know this better than anyone else. You know Congress is broken, because you are there. It’s broken because campaigning has taken over governing and made...

...compromise impossible.But campaigning all the time is no fun. You got into politics to solve big problems. Well here’s the biggest problem to solve: making our democracy work. A new electoral system will unshackle the creative problem-solving potential of Congress, allowing...

...it to work on all the other pressing challenges our country faces. It will make being a member of Congress more fun and rewarding. It will allow you to accomplish what you came to Washington to do: make a difference.... We need to end the winner-take-all system of elections..”

Continuing with more important points:
Page 261: “Like the people they represent, elected officials today are also sick and tired of the status quo... Large-scale electoral reform should stand as a genuine peace treaty between the two warring teams in Washington.”

Reinforcing this idea that legislators want a better system and are likely to support reform, this episode (#2) from @IssueOneReform podcast, Swamp Stories, adds to this case: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/swamp-stories/id1493584122?i=1000464450628

Page 269: “If we don’t change our electoral system, we’re in big trouble... Electoral Reform is the solution.... a new electoral system can create space for entrepreneurial politicians to find new solutions to hard public problems.”