An important datum, but readers seem to miss a key point. With only two parties, our politics will remain winner take all even with a proportionality rule. To have effective 3rd, 4th or more parties demands letting them have a key role in governing. PR alone won't do that as I explain in my book.

My new video on gerrymandering and democracy inspired by the November 4 election. Run time 3:26. youtu.be/TLu5QX47FGM

Thank you for this @dennislytton.bsky.social. I think citizens have a two-part moral obligation: (1) to become better educated about what has happened to our democracy and how to fix it, and (2) to be hopeful. The latter is just as important if we care about future generations.

I review last year's book by U of Maryland law prof. @maxwell-stearns.bsky.social's "Parliamentary America". He lays out a case for converting the American Presidency into a prime minister elected by & dependent on the confidence of an enlarged House elected by multiparty proportional representation

Please read this wonderful essay by @dennislytton.bsky.social in @liberalcurrents.com. It displays the author's deep well of knowledge in history, institutions, and democracy, and it endorses key insights from Parliamentary America. It is well worth your time. www.liberalcurrents.com/the-american...

How many more editorials will the @nytimes.com publish while continuing entirely to ignore the root causes of our constitutional crisis--two party presidentialism. Without a correct diagnosis, it is impossible to devise a proper cure. Do better. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

I only found out today that back in January, Adam Gurri, Liberal Currents, and Caleb Brown discussed my book, Parliamentary America, on the Cato daily podcast! The specific discussion begins at 10:30, and the lead in is also very thoughtful. Thank you Adam and Caleb! open.spotify.com/episode/2R2Z...

No. We do not. We need serious reform that gets to the root of the problem--two party presidentialism. Superficial fixes will not fix the crisis of our democracy. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/o...

I'm just going to come out and say it. Although it is abysmal, I care far more about what Trump's doing to our democracy than what Trump's doing to the White House.

If you have read Parliamentary America, especially if you liked it and think it is important for others to read in the fight to save our democracy, please consider writing a strongly favorable review on Amazon, Goodreads, or both. Thank you.

A deeply emotional day. Finally. After over two years. So much sorrow. So much pain. And now, finally hope.

I'm thrilled to announce my YouTube channel: Democracy Currents with Maxwell Stearns. I start with an 11-minute Ted-style talk, Saving the Future of Our Democracy, given at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Faculty Commencement. Please watch and share. youtu.be/qJ5yBQNtEiM

Have I mentioned our system of government is broken?

An oldie but a goodie. I've offended some on both extremes by now, but I still think this gets it about right: www.blindspotblog.us/post/the-apo...

My core commitment in a tweet.

For a time, folks like me called the United States a flawed democracy. We have moved from debates over the adjective to debates over the noun.

Today is Constitution Day. This is an appropriate opportunity to point out that our Constitution is badly broken and desperately in need of radical reform if we are to have a genuine and well-functioning democracy.

Grutter v. Bollinger (O'Connor, J): [The] Law School's admissions policy promotes "cross-racial understanding," helps to break down racial stereotypes, and "enables [students] to better understand persons of different races." Does thinking in 3s demand saying: 1, 2, and truly 1?

Link to full post: www.blindspotblog.us/post/my-cont...

What people continue not to grasp is that unity (or at least less hyper-division) arises from institutional structures, not hopes and dreams. It is time to be serious about constitutional, and democratic, reform. We keep avoiding necessary conversations. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...

A sad day for democracy. Political violence is never the answer. Charlie Kirk and I held no common ground. That doesn't matter. This has to stop. So too does the gun culture Kirk enthusiastically embraced. That vital message is equally important. Today.

A substantial part of equal protection doctrine would be easier to teach if textbook editors weren't afraid of such terms as type 1/type 2 error, and if they realized that efficiency and efficacy, despite sounding similar, aren't synonyms.

I am so disgusted with endless claims that troubled people are why we have mass shootings. It takes two things: (1) a deeply troubled person, and (2) easy access to guns. The world shares 1; we alone have 2. That's why we alone have these events. Over and over and over and over.

I'm seeing lots of posts by law profs about the failure to indict Sean Charles Dunn. And they make me wonder why it is that you apparently can't indict a sandwich that's vegetarian or kosher.

I've committed never to let a mass shooting pass without telling my students such tragic, uniquely American, events arise from a construction lacking historical or textual support. But damn. Two young children killed. 17 injured. During a mass. And today is only my second class.

One of the most profound challenges in conversations about democratic reform is persuading people of the difference between proof of concept and proof of exception.