The American Duopoly
American politics have evolved into what is called a duopoly.
A duopoly is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “a situation in which two suppliers dominate the market for a commodity or service.” That may sound harmless enough, but a duopoly is not a desirable system for us, the consumer, or in this case…the voter. It’s the second-worst market construct, right behind a monopoly…which in politics translates to an autocratic dictatorship (like what China, Russia, and North Korea endure). A duopoly allows two entities (in this case the republican and democratic parties) to pretend to compete for dominance, while actually being perfectly content to split the winnings so long as nothing really changes in the market. In his podcast titled “America’s Hidden Duopoly,” Stephen Dubner put it perfectly: “Republicans and Democrats constitute a wildly successful industry that has colluded to kill off competition, stifle reform, and drive the country apart.” In that podcast, Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter do an amazing job of explaining the duopoly of American politics, and all of its hazards and inequities. It’s an essential listen for anyone wanting to understand why the country is so divided, and why we should unite to demand the reform we all want.
What is the reform we want, you ask. To start, we want money out of politics, which will allow us to get congress working for us again, not billionaires. Next, as it pertains to our toxic duopoly, we want it replaced with a multiparty system that accurately reflects the nuances of major, national voting blocks.
If that sounds undoable, it’s definitely not. Most democracies around the world have multiparty systems, and those with the highest approval ratings from their own citizens tend to be those with the highest number of active political parties. Not surprisingly, they also tend to be those countries ranking highest on the World Happiness Report.
Our Founders, including James Madison and John Adams, were very much against a two party system. In 1776, Adams wrote that Congress “should be in miniature, an exact portrait of the people at large. It should think, feel, reason, and act like them.”
Does our deadlocked, divisive Congress think, feel, reason and act like us. Absolutely not! A 2025 New York Times analysis of a Nationscape survey polling hundreds of thousands of Americans arrived at the need for at least 6 distinct political parties:
The Progressive Party, which would hold focus on equity, racial justice, and a vision of inclusive, social democracy.
The New Liberal Party would veer slightly to the right and be more pro-market while holding more liberal social views.
The New Populist Party, which would combine economic populism with moderate views on culture and social issues.
The Growth and Opportunity Party would be made up of socially moderate, market-friendly “Rockefeller Republicans.”
The Patriot Party, embracing the “America First” agenda, would embrace a restrictionist immigration policy, and protectionist economics.
The Christian Conservative Party, representing those for limited national government, promoting religious liberty and biblical morality.
Adding to the pitfalls of our two party duopoly is our lack of proper representation in Congress. When the House was established in 1789, it was designed to expand to match population growth. For a time, it did so. Since the early 20th century, however, we have not expanded the House, which has gone from one representative for every 34,000 citizens at its inception to a whopping one for every 760,000, making it very easy to understand why Americans feel they no longer have any voice in Congress.
So, not only are we lacking representation that generally reflects the nuanced “thoughts, feelings, reason, and actions” of the populous, as our founders intended, we also can’t get that representation in percentages that accurately reflect those beliefs and interests across populations groups.
If you’re asking yourself, “does it even matter if I’m a Republican or Democrat?” the answer is…no, not really. Sure, there are policy shifts between one administration and the next. But, does it feel like anything significant ever changes for the average American voter? Statistically, the major changes Americans want and care about most have been stalled in Congress for decades.
As time goes on, Congress passes fewer and fewer laws every session, while the average wealth of each congress continues to grow, largely do to insider trading. Does that make any sense? Of course not!
What can we do? Well the first item on the list is to STOP GIVING MONEY TO POLITICANS! Putting a stop to the duopoly, which continues to syphon money from average Americans to the uber rich, starts with insisting on a low capped, tax payer funded campaign and election cycle, like some of the most stable democracies in Europe. This would be a start not just at moving beyond the duopoly, but also at getting Billionaire influence out of elections and government.
Next, demand that your representatives support expanding the House and support a shift to a multiparty system. Refuse to support or vote for anyone campaigning who doesn’t support these changes.
Couple that demand with insisting on ranked-choice voting, which would give 3rd, 4th, 5th…and ideally 6th party candidates a realistic chance at winning elections. As Americans, we believe in healthy competition. So lets say goodbye to a two-party system that too often leaves us voting for a “lesser of two evils.”
And lastly, as you consume news media, keep these realities above in mind- until these changes are made, our votes and our voices aren’t having the effect we deserve them to have. Instead of letting the news divide us, it’s time we unite around the progress we all want!