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Changing the Rules changes everything.

The purpose of politics, as a business, is the reelection of incumbents and the protection of the two national parties.  It operates by a set of rules, and these rules can be changed.

Public Opinion Doesn’t Matter.

A Princeton University study finds that since the 1990s, public opinion has no impact on U.S policy.

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Articles

Conservatives won’t get what they want

Long before Donald Trump, the very rules of political system ensure that conservatives won’t get a smaller government, a simplified tax code or free markets.

Only 14% matter

“14% of America, roughly half on the left and half on the right, consistently shouts, posts and voters, while the rest of us are left exhausted.”

Source: Hidden Tribes research report

The Disappearing
Center

It is not just the last two election cycles. Moderates have been leaving both the House and the Senate for decades.

Deep
Wisdom

Watch. Listen. Read.

Blog

How to Spend $100 Million to Reform the Political System

How to Invest $100 Million to Fix the Political System

Yes, we understand. You don’t have $100 million to spend on political reform. But maybe you have a friend who does. And, in any case, grappling with this question may lead you to a better understanding of the “business of politics.” First of all, is $100 million...
National Popular Vote

Could the National Popular Vote Ever Decide U.S. Elections?

In February 2019, Colorado became the 12th state to pass the compact for the National Popular Vote. If approximately nine additional states pass this agreement, it effectively becomes a new way to elect our president. There is a scenario where this can actually happen...
Vote at Home

What is the Best System to Promote Voter Turnout?

Why is it so hard to vote in so many places? And what are states doing to make it easy? A new study by Northern Illinois University analyzed the time and effort it took to vote in each presidential election year from 1996 through 2016. Researchers factored in...
Why is Negative Campaigning So Effective?

Why is Negative Election Campaigning So Effective?

Negative campaigning isn’t simply a random tactic that has proved to be effective for selected politicians. It’s part of a broader strategy of “pseudo-competition” between two major ecosystems battling for supremacy, power and money. These Democratic and Republican...
The Disconnect between Winning and Governing

The Disconnect Between Winning & Governing

We have evolved a system of politics where incumbents can overwhelmingly win elections, yet we are continually dissatisfied with how they govern. How can this be so? Is this just one “bad batch” of politicians, or is there something systemic in our politics that dooms...
Why are Lawmakers Leaving Congress?

Why Are Lawmakers Leaving Congress?

Over the last 12 months, Change the Rules has documented how the structure of the current political system – the “business of politics” – is failing our country. In this blog, we explore what the system looks and feels like from the inside, and why it's leading...
Money in Politics: Pipe Dream or Tipping Point?

Money in Politics Part 2: Pipe Dream or Tipping Point?

In the first part of our Money in Politics blog series, we discussed the scope of the problem. In part two, we’ll highlight action happening today to reform the role of money in politics. We’ll also delve into whether these reforms mean we are at a tipping point or if...
Money in Politics: How Bad is the Problem?

Money in Politics Part 1: How Bad is the Problem?

Many voters recognize that only about 10 percent of the 435 congressional seats are actually competitive. Gerrymandering and the "business of politics" seem to be the major culprit. The same dynamic holds true for the 7,400 state legislative seats across the country....
Schulz Independent Presidential Candidate

Howard Schultz: Democratic Spoiler or Potential Election Reform Hero?

Based on the “spoiler” role that third-party candidates have played in Presidential elections, Democrats are rightly concerned that Howard Schultz, if he were to run as an Independent presidential candidate, could split the anti-Trump vote in 2020 and ensure a second...
Gerrymandering reform

The Two Tracks Toward Gerrymandering Reform

Many voters know that gerrymandering (extreme partisan redistricting) poses a threat to the integrity of our elections. By marginalizing large blocks of Republican, Democratic and Independent voters, it breeds mistrust, disfunction and public policies that don’t...

The Path from Closed Competition to Open Competition

Gerrymandering

Good News: Mid-term Voters Drew the Line on Gerrymandering

Go Deeper: Redrawing district lines to give an advantage to one party over another is called "gerrymandering." Here's how it works.

Presidential Debates

What will it take for third party candidates to be in the Presidential Debates?

The Path to Greater Participation

From Few Voters Matter to All Voters Matter

Shift to a National Popular Vote for President

Open All Primaries to Independent Voters

The Path to Finding the Proper Role for Money

Reducing the Role of Money

The momentum behind the passage of “Anti-corruption acts” is approaching a tipping point.

Exposure about how members of Congress serve as “cash cows:” for their party’s political machinery.

Former members of Congress and governors from both parties are working to reducing the power of money in politics.

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