cover of episode Tweak the Vote

Tweak the Vote

2024/10/18
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People
A
A.B. Philbin Bowman
C
Curtis Gilbert
D
Dominic Fracassa
L
Latif Nasser
S
Sarah Qari
Y
Yasha Monk
Topics
Robert Krulwich和Latif Nasser介绍了Yasha Monk的研究，该研究表明对民主制度的信任度正在下降，许多人对强人统治或军事统治表现出更高的接受度。 Yasha Monk讲述了他的家族经历以及他对极右翼民粹主义政党崛起的担忧，他认为这些政党表面上遵守民主程序，实则对其构成威胁。他认为，全球范围内，极右翼民粹主义政党正在崛起，它们利用民众对现有政治体系的不满，并最终可能威胁到民主制度本身。一项全球民调显示，对民主制度的支持度正在下降，越来越多的人表示支持强人统治或军事统治，这反映出人们对现有政治体系的失望和对民主制度本身的质疑。鉴于对民主制度的信任度下降，他主张修复而非抛弃民主制度，并建议从投票制度入手进行改进。 A.B. Philbin Bowman介绍了爱尔兰的比例代表制单可转移投票制（PR-STV），并通过2016年都柏林中央选区的议员选举案例，解释了该制度的运作方式以及它如何确保每个选票都被充分利用，最终可能导致意想不到的结果。 Sarah Qari认为，美国现有的投票制度存在缺陷，因为它允许候选人在没有获得多数选票的情况下获胜，这导致候选人只关注其核心支持者，而忽略其他选民。她认为，等级选择投票制可以解决这个问题。在等级选择投票制下，候选人需要争取更多选民的支持，而不是仅仅依靠其核心支持者。 Dominic Fracassa讲述了旧金山市长选举中排名选择投票制的应用，两个排名靠后的候选人联合起来对抗领先的候选人，最终导致了意想不到的结果，也引发了人们对这种投票制度的争议。 Curtis Gilbert介绍了明尼阿波利斯市长选举中排名选择投票制的应用，该制度促进了候选人之间的合作和互相尊重，减少了负面竞选活动。 Robert Krulwich和Latif Nasser总结了对排名选择投票制的讨论，并探讨了这种投票制度的潜在益处和挑战，以及它对民主制度的潜在益处和挑战，以及它对政治格局的潜在影响。他们还介绍了缅因州采用排名选择投票制进行州级选举的案例，说明了这种投票制度的实施过程和可能产生的影响。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The episode begins by exploring the growing disillusionment with democracy, both in the U.S. and globally, and the rise of far-right and authoritarian movements.
  • 1/3 of Americans and Europeans support a strong leader who doesn't have to bother with elections.
  • Younger generations are less attached to democracy than older ones.
  • There's a growing acceptance of military rule among certain demographics.

Shownotes Transcript

Back in 2018, when this episode first aired, there was a feeling that democracy was on the ropes.  In the United States and abroad, citizens of democracies are feeling increasingly alienated, disaffected, and powerless.  Some are even asking themselves a question that feels almost too dangerous to say out loud: is democracy fundamentally broken?  

Today on Radiolab, we ask a different question: how do we fix it?  We scrutinize one proposed tweak to the way we vote that could make politics in this country more representative, more moderate, and most shocking of all, more civil.  Could this one surprisingly do-able mathematical fix really turn political campaigning from a rude bloodsport to a campfire singalong? And even if we could do that, would we want to?

Special thanks to Rob Richie (and everyone else at Fairvote), Don Saari, Diana Leygerman, Caroline Tolbert, Bobby Agee, Edward Still, Jim Blacksher, Allen Caton, Nikolas Bowie, John Hale, and Anna Luhrmann and the rest of the team at the Varieties of Democracy Institute in Sweden.

And a very special thanks to Rick Pickren, for allowing us to use his rendition of State of Maine, Maine’s state anthem. Check that out, and all his other state anthems on Spotify) or Youtube).

**EPISODE CREDITS: **Reported by - Latif Nasser, Simon Adler, Sarah Qari, Suzie Lechtenberg and Tracie HunteProduced by - Simon Adler, Matt Kielty, Sarah Qari, and Suzie LechtenbergOriginal music and sound design contributed by - Simon Adler

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