The Institutions Protecting US Democracy Have Turned Into Traps
America’s two-party system has long been intended as a barrier against an extremism. Polarization is making it an accelerant instead.
Illustration: Derek Abella for Bloomberg
Americans take pride in their democratic past, but not their democratic present: A 2024 Pew survey found that 72% of US respondents felt their country was once a good model for the world to follow, but only 19% believe it still is.
What changed?