V. Conclusion

American democracy is in a dark and dangerous place right now, but it doesn’t have to be. The escalating hyper-partisan doom loop is a consequence of changes in the party system, its geographical bases, the nationalization of American politics, and the close national competition for control of government. These are all relatively recent developments that have, over the last several decades, transformed the American system from a multi-dimensional, compromise-oriented four-party-within-two-party system to a one-dimensional, combative, hyper-polarized true two-party system, stuck in an escalating doom loop of zero-sum partisan warfare that shows no obvious resolution.

Fusion balloting is an extremely promising way to break this “doom loop” because it gives voters the ability to clearly signal: “stop the hyper-partisan fighting and work together.” Without the ability to vote for a moderate party, voters can only vote for the Democrat or the Republican, but without any direction. Because of the single-member system with plurality voting, a moderate party is unlikely to emerge on its own. Only fusion balloting can give that party an opportunity to represent the growing number of homeless voters in the political middle, who can then leverage their power in key elections.

The American political system has survived this long because of the ability of its citizens to creatively reform and recalibrate it in times of crisis. Supporters of fusion balloting are working in this supremely American tradition, bringing continued innovation to our continued democratic experiment, when it is most urgently needed.