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Articles by Steven Hill
9 Ways Ranked Choice Ballots Fix What’s Broken in American Elections
Editor's Note: The following commentary originally published on the DemocracySOS Substack and has been republished on IVN with permission from the author. Ranked ballots are one of the wonders of modern representative democracy because they solve real democratic dilemmas that other methods can’t solve. Even a Party List Proportional method offers a voter only a single-choice and thereby replicates one of the worst defects of the truly antiquated “plurality wins all” method. Here’s what I mean.
How Viktor Orbán Got Rolled by His Own Gerrymander
Steven Hill is the chief editor and contributor to the Substack DemocracySOS, where this article originally appeared. Viktor Orbán’s brand of corruption, cronyism and running what a former Hungarian education minister has called a “post-communist mafia state,” finally caught up with him. But that was not the only factor in his stunning landslide loss to Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party, which won a two-thirds majority in Sunday’s parliamentary election.
Scandal-Plagued Los Angeles Badly Needs A "Local Democracy" Reset
CHARTER WATCH - For a multi-everything city of nearly 4 million people, proportional RCV offers the best chance to provide fair representation and reduce city council scandal If any city is badly in need of political reform, it’s Los Angeles. Three recent city councilors have been sentenced to prison for corruption, and a fourth one is going to trial.
Imagine if Congress was elected by Proportional Representation
Welcome to DemocracySOS, a newsletter detailing the failings of America’s “winner take all” democracy, as well as proposed reforms and solutions. If you like this issue of DemocracySOS, please consider becoming a paying subscriber to support this work. Or if you are a paying subscriber, give a gift subscription to a friend, colleague or family member. ‘Tis the season for giving. And now, let’s dive in.
Trump hoisted by his own petard in Texas redistricting
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter chronicling and analyzing the most important political reform efforts only works because of the support of readers like you. If you haven’t already, please consider upgrading to a $5 subscription — less than the price of a cup of coffee.
Election 2025: Ranked Choice Voting points the way to a better national politics
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter chronicling and analyzing the most important political reform efforts only works because of the support of readers like you. If you haven’t already, please consider upgrading to a $5 subscription — less than the price of a cup of coffee.
An exercise showing why US politics is tilting toward authoritarianism
[Advance warning to DSOS readers: this one is going to get a little wonky. We are going to dive into the intricacies of electoral systems and how they work, and how they impact the five pillars of representative democracy: representation, participation, campaigns, governance, and partisanship (polarization).
Refusing authoritarianism: why California’s Proposition 50 is necessary but not sufficient
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter making the case for fundamental reform of America’s struggling democracy only works with the support of readers like yourself. If you haven’t already, please consider upgrading to a $5 per month subscription — the price of a cup of coffee. Thanks, here’s the subscription link] The national mid-decade redistricting scandal unleashed by President Donald Trump’s grab for more US House seats is still roiling from coast-to-coast.
Divided We Fall, Part II - what’s causing the epidemic of political violence?
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter chronicling and analyzing America’s struggling democracy only works because of the support of readers like you. If you haven’t already, please consider upgrading to a $5 subscription. Thanks, here’s the link] The toxic and bitter national division we are living through is not simply the result of cultural, racial, partisan, economic or geographic divisions, or of populist leaders who exploit them for political gain.
Divided We Fall
[Dear readers: DemocracySOS depends on reader support. Can you toss a few coins into the cup? Here is a link to our $5/month subscription page. Thank you.] Besides the toxicities of our winner-take-all political system, the horns of the nation’s bitter tribalism have been sharpened on a relatively new stone. Stirred into this volatile winner-take-all brew is the increasingly dominant communication infrastructure of our times – digital media platforms.
Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump, and the backlash against women’s rise
“A backlash against women’s rights is nothing new. Indeed, it’s a recurring phenomenon: it returns every time women begin to make some headway towards equality.” -- Susan Faludi, author of Backlash: The Undeclared War against American Women As I have learned more about Charlie Kirk in the aftermath of his murder, I find myself distinguishing his political views and what he believed from how he conducted his politics.
With Charlie Kirk's murder, the US descends further into winner-take-all mayhem
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter chronicling and analyzing America’s struggling democracy only works because of the support of readers like you. If you haven’t already, please consider upgrading to a $5 subscription. Thanks, here’s the link] Hoo boy. I’m trying to make sense of it all. I’ll bet many DemocracySOS readers are too. First, there’s the national level. Banana republic. Failing state. Dying democracy. Winner-take-all psychosis.
Making lemonade from the lemons of mid-decade redistricting
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter making the case for fundamental reform of America’s struggling democracy only works with the support of readers like yourself. With your support, DemocracySOS has grown to over 2000 subscribers. Our goal is to hit 10,000 and continue to grow a community of reform supporters who can be catalysts in their communities. If you haven’t already, please consider a $5 per month subscription — the price of a cup of coffee.
Democrats are losing ground to Trump's Republicans nearly everywhere - it’s important to understand why
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter probing the innards of America’s struggling democracy only works because of the support of readers like you. If you haven’t already, please consider upgrading to a $5 subscription.
Scandal-plagued Los Angeles badly needs a new democracy. Common Cause needs a new strategy. Here is a plan for both
[Dear readers: DemocracySOS depends on reader support. Can you toss a few coins into the cup? Here is a link to our $5/month subscription page. Thank you.] The national redistricting scandal unleashed by Donald Trump’s grab for more US House seats in Texas is still roiling from coast-to-coast.
The collapse of Common Cause’s vision for US democracy
[Dear readers: DemocracySOS survives through reader support. Can you toss a few coins into the hat? Here is a link to our $5/month subscription page. Donate any amount, no amount is too small. Thank you.] More than Texas Democrats have been fleeing to escape the mid-decade redistricting nightmare that is gripping the nation. Political reformers, who for decades have pushed redistricting reforms, are suddenly backpedaling furiously. Decades of reformer work is going up in smoke.
Using democracy to kill democracy-Trump takes a redistricting trick from Viktor Orbán
[Dear readers: DemocracySOS survives through reader support. Here is a link to our $5/month subscription page. Can you toss a few coins into the cup? Much appreciated.] It’s “drive off the cliff” time again in America’s casino democracy. The Trump racketeers have a plan to swipe votes from Americans in order to keep their bare GOP House majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
When Taliban America arrested and tried women for voting
This June, 152 years ago, one of the most stirring calls for universal suffrage and representative democracy took place in a federal courtroom in Ontario County in the Finger Lakes region of western New York. What transpired was a criminal trial that, though the defendant was found guilty, blazed a mighty stroke for women’s rights that eventually prevailed and has immeasurably benefited society. Somebody should make a movie about this trial and these events.
Reformers' dilemma: which Pro Rep method for US democracy?
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter probing the innards of America’s struggling democracy only works because of the support of readers like you. If you haven’t already, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Thanks, here’s the link] Last week I laid out a blueprint for how to pass proportional representation for electing legislatures in the United States. But that begs the question: which proportional representation method would work best? What should reformers aim toward?
The reform pathway for Pro Rep and Ranked Choice Voting
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter about US political reform is unique in the breadth and depth of its coverage. It will only thrive from the support of readers like you. Could you consider upgrading to a $5 subscription? Or giving a friend or family member a gift subscription? Here’s the link. Thanks].
The coming political realignment of the Democrats and Republicans
[Dear readers: DemocracySOS survives through reader support. Here is a link to our $5/month subscription page. Can you toss a few coins into the hat?
European democracies lead the way – with Children’s Parliaments
[Dear readers: DemocracySOS provides insights, explorations and musings on American democracy that you can’t find anywhere else. It only will survive with sufficient reader support. Can you take a moment to consider upgrading to a $5 paid subscription, or giving a gift subscription? Here’s the link, thanks.
Will Democrats retake the House due to Trump’s bumbling?
[Dear DemocracySOS readers: this newsletter probing the innards of America’s struggling democracy only works because of the support of readers like you. Might you consider upgrading to a paid subscription? Or giving a friend or family member a gift subscription?
Trump's Project 2025 is a threat to democracy
The evidence is increasingly clear that President Donald Trump has adopted the right-wing Heritage Foundation’s manifesto, known as Project 2025, as the blueprint for his administration.
April lessons: in truth, the South won the Civil War, not the North
[Dear readers: DemocracySOS is a reader-supported publication. Here is a link to our $5/month subscription page. Can you throw a few coins into the cup? Thank you.] April was a momentous month in the American Civil War. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to General Ulysses Grant, commander of the Union forces at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, marking the culmination of the war.
How the White House plans to gain control over US elections
[Editor’s note: a shorter version of this article was published by The Fulcrum] The Trump administration issued executive orders in February and March to try and rein in the independence of nearly twenty federal agencies. Among President Donald Trump’s near-daily assaults on these agencies, the one that is perhaps the most frightening is his attempt to undermine the integrity and independence of the Federal Election Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
How to democratize New York City (and Philly and Baltimore and…)
[Editor’s note: Dear readers, DemocracySOS is a reader-supported publication. Here is a link to our $5/month subscription page. Thanks for throwing a few coins into the cup!] On June 24, New York City will hold its Democratic Party primary elections during which its mayor and most city council races will be decided. Since the Big Apple is such a heavily Democratic city, the Democratic primary winners will undoubtedly prevail in November.
The sticky glue and invisible threads of democracy
[Dear readers, DemocracySOS is a reader-supported publication, so if you are enjoying its content I hope you will consider granting a small contribution. Here is a link to the $5 subscription page. Thank you for your support.] In the Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam, hangs an obscure painting that speaks volumes about the modern dilemmas of government and the natural tension between the sticky glue and invisible threads that bind together the members of democratic societies.
German elections headed for a crash? Need RCV?
[Dear DemocracySOS readers, if you are enjoying DSOS content, here is a link to the $5 subscription page. Thanks for throwing a few tuppence into the hat!]. Germany is about to vote in a national election on February 23, with many of the same issues playing out there that thundered in the US presidential and congressional elections last November – high prices, pressures from immigration and the rise of populist extremists.
Birth of the RCV reform movement (and its terminology)
[Editor’s note: dear readers, DemocracySOS is a reader-supported publication. Here is a link to our $5 per month subscription page. Thanks for throwing a few coins into the cup]. I was asked recently by a reporter: “Where do the terms ranked choice voting (RCV) and instant runoff voting (IRV) come from?” I understand her confusion. There is such an alphabet soup of terms and abbreviations out there. Her next question was prescient: “Is IRV the same thing as RCV?
What would the Founders and Framers do today?
[Editor’s note: Dear DemocracySOS readers, especially the many new readers that have joined in recent weeks. In case you didn’t know, DemocracySOS is a reader-supported publication. Here is a link to our $5 per month subscription page. Thanks for throwing a few coins into the hat]. Over 30 years ago, myself, Rob Richie and Matthew Cossolotto co-founded the organization that today is known as FairVote, with a mission to educate Americans about proportional representation and electoral system reform.
The Magnet and the Merry-Go-Round
[Editor’s note: DemocracySOS welcomes guest author Greg Dennis from Voter Choice Massachusetts. The Bay State has been a hotbed of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) activism, substantially due to the efforts of Greg and others. Currently 27 communities in Massachusetts are actively pursuing RCV, including Boston. Proponents have won the support of Gov.
Inauguration reflections: why Winner-Take-All is making us all losers
We are only hours away from a historical ritual that, before January 2021 and the malicious attempt to overthrow a presidential election result, used to be America’s most hallowed and riveting ceremony.
Why Kamala Harris lost (a winnable election?)
There are as many prognoses out there about why Kamala Harris lost as snowflakes at the North Pole. It’s that time of the election cycle for the pundits to step into the batter’s box and take a big swing at “what happened.” I’ve approached reading these treatments with a mixture of intrigue and disinterest. Intrigue because it seemed like this election should have been winnable for Harris, given the high negatives of her opponent, yet she lost so handily.
A strange way to pick a president
One week to go. The countdown to the US presidential election on 5 November has begun. For months, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have been locked in a roller coaster ride to see who will become the world’s most powerful leader. But strangely, in this only-in-America presidential election process, some voters count more than others.
Why don’t Americans value their democracy more?
As the US stands on the cliff’s edge of yet another bitterly toxic presidential election, I am puzzling over the question: “Why don’t Americans value their representative democracy more?” If US democracy further decays after this election, it won’t be due to a single event like a replay of the January 6 Capitol riot, or a single individual like Donald Trump.
Trump Democrats
[Welcome to DemocracySOS, a newsletter detailing the many dilemmas and tradeoffs of representative democracy in the US and around the world, as well as proposed political reforms. Consider becoming a paying subscriber for as low as $5 per month. Or, if you already are a paying subscriber (thank you!), consider giving a gift subscription to a friend, colleague or family member.
How to prevent political violence
[Editor’s note: DemocracySOS welcomes authors Rachel Kleinfeld and Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, who offer this excerpt from their longer article published in the October 2024 issue of the Journal of Democracy.
Ranked Choice Voting heading for its biggest year ever
[Dear DemocracySOS readers. I hope you are enjoying our reporting and analysis about democracy, representation and political reform. We strive to offer unique content unlike anything else on the Net. You can help support our work by tossing a few dimes into the DSOS hat. A subscription for a mere $5 a month — the price of a coffee or pizza slice — helps keep the doors open.
How will “Israel” play in the presidential election?
[Welcome to DemocracySOS, a newsletter detailing the many dilemmas and tradeoffs of representative democracy in the US and around the world, as well as proposed reforms. Consider becoming a paying subscriber for as low as $5 per month to support this work. Or, if you already are a paying subscriber (thank you!), consider giving a gift subscription to a friend, colleague or family member. Thanks for your support.] The US presidential election is the ultimate "winner take all" slugfest.
Happy Birthday, James Baldwin
We all have personal heroes. One of mine is writer James Baldwin. In a violent era of racial injustice, Baldwin was a bright beacon in the chiaroscuro of the dark storm. His penetrating words and deep insights about the nature of white America were delivered with artistry, dignity, compassion, poise and razor-sharp insights into the human being. His novels, essays, poems and plays helped to elevate public understanding of racial and sexual oppression.
The Assassination of American Political Life
Witnessing the United States convulse through this political moment has been like watching a coyote caught in a trap, chewing off its own leg to break free. Really grisly stuff. Both political parties have lost trust and faith with huge swaths of the American people, who have become democratic bystanders to a seemingly never-ending American dream-turned-nightmare in which the Friday the 13th horror movie assailant keeps rising again and again.
The Winner-Take-All Circus in France and Britain
[Welcome to DemocracySOS, a newsletter detailing the many dilemmas and tradeoffs of representative democracy in the US and around the world, as well as proposed reforms. If you like this issue, you can sign up here for more. Consider becoming a paying subscriber for as low as $5 per month to support this work. Or, if you already are a paying subscriber (thank you!), consider giving a gift subscription to a friend, colleague or family member.
Bipartisanship Alaska-style provokes MAGA GOP repeal
In a time of extreme national polarization and toxic partisanship, to the point where many Americans are anticipating the upcoming presidential election with fear and dread, one state stands out as a model of bipartisanship. This state is known as being fiercely conservative – Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by nearly 15 points and Joe Biden by 10 points. That state is Alaska.
Imagine if Congress was elected by Proportional Representation
Welcome to DemocracySOS, a newsletter detailing the failings of America’s “winner take all” democracy, as well as proposed solutions. If you like this issue of DemocracySOS, you can sign up here for more issues. Consider becoming a paying subscriber to support this work, or if you are a paying subscriber, give a gift subscription to a friend, colleague or family member. And now, let’s dive in.
Money in politics: How winner-take-all elections make it worse
As we approach the November 24 elections, it is increasingly apparent that much is at stake. The closeness of the polls in the grudge rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump has the whole country on edge. But there has been less focus on the fact that the Republicans have one of the slimmest majorities in US House history: currently 217 to 213 seats (with five vacancies).
India: The Biggest Elections In Human History Using Risky AI Tools
The numbers of India’s elections are impressively staggering. There are 969 million eligible voters, more than 1 million polling stations, 15 million election workers deployed, 2,600 political parties and over 8,000 candidates competing for 543 seats in the house of parliament – known as the Lok Sabha The elections in India are so massive that not only are the lines long, but the election will be spread out over 44 days, from April 19 to June 1, to give everyone a chance to vote.
RFK Jr shows voters want more choice -- but at what price?
[Dear DSOS readers — I keep this content mostly free because otherwise it wouldn’t reach as many people. The goal of DSOS is to provide readers some insight and inspiration, and a bit of entertainment, as we try to come together to grow the political reform movement. But that means I rely on people who are able and willing to pay even though they don’t have to. So please consider dropping a few coins in the cup by becoming a paid subscriber. Only $5 per month] Here we go again.
Donald J. Trump vs the United States: Are the courts on the level?
Donald J. Trump is like a walking smallpox bomb, infecting and killing a little piece of US democracy everywhere he goes. Recently he became the first former president to stand in a criminal trial. Rather than meeting this historical moment with a measure of gravitas, yesterday the radical right wingers who control the US Supreme Court lost their moral compass entirely during oral arguments in Trump’s presidential immunity hearing.
America's Winner-Take-All Electoral System Is Tearing the Country Apart
When we look at U.S. politics through the lens of its “winner-take-all” electoral system, two basic characteristics, inherent to the system, stand out. It is, for the most part: A geographic-based political system in which legislative contests usually occur through single-seat district elections. In the U.S. that includes all congressional seats, most state legislative seats, and most city council seats in major cities. You win representation based on where you live rather than what you think.
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