Would Parliamentary America Have More Fun?

With the 2024 election season upon us, Americans feel political despair. The president and his leading challenger, a former president, are deeply unpopular. Huge majorities, in both parties, tell pollsters that the two-party system is broken. For many, the prospect of engaging in upcoming political contests evokes downright dread.

So, where can we find the inspiration and ideas to fundamentally repair our democracy, climb out of this political rut, and turn the mood around? In other democracies around the world, says Maxwell L. Stearns, constitutional law professor and author of the new book Parliamentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy. Stearns visits Zócalo to outline a three-part plan to turn the U.S. into a multi-party parliamentary democracy that could make our politics less maddening, more collaborative—and perhaps even more fun. What are the legal, constitutional, and political steps needed to modernize American democracy?

Zocalo Event 02.23.24