If you feel like our politics are more polarized than ever before, or if it seems impossible to engage in cross-partisan dialogue, there’s a reason for it.

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Check out the report we released today on #MonopolyPolitics: The Root of Dysfunction in the U.S House of Representatives http://bit.ly/2KDSYlp 

Back in 2018, FairVote guessed the outcome of 82% of races in 2020 two full years ahead of election day and we were accurate within a percentage point. Why? Because only 18% of House races are actually competitive.

The R or D after a candidate’s name matters more than their platform, their voting history, scandals, you name it.

We also found that the number of “crossover representatives” went down. It’s harder than ever to be a Democrat Member of Congress in a Republican-majority district, or a Republican Member of Congress in a Democrat-majority district. https://i.imgur.com/aNhgLjR.png 

It’s even tough for incumbents. Usually, incumbents have a slight edge over their competition, because voters have seen them in office and are willing to back them again. Today, the incumbency bump is down to 1.4%. https://i.imgur.com/yP8u34B.png 

There has been a particularly strong increase in political polarization in the last two years in Kentucky, New York, South Carolina, and Tennessee - red districts got more red, and blue districts got more blue.

So it’s tough in 2020 (understatement of the year, we know). It’s tough if you’re an R in a district that has 45% R and 55% D - chances are, you won’t be represented in Congress. It’s also tough if you’re a Member of Congress who is a moderate D in a more conservative district.

But most importantly, it’s tough if you think that cross-partisanship is key to rebuild and restore our democracy. We’re looking to 2021 and a redistricting battle that will reinforce gerrymandering lines and make partisanship worse.

How do we fix this? The #FairRepresentationAct. https://bit.ly/38eLQUY 

Step : Turn single-winner districts, which increase polarization through #gerrymandering, into multi-member districts ( #ProportionalRepresentation): you would vote for 3-5 members of Congress, rather than just one.

Step : Elect Members of Congress using #RankedChoiceVoting, so that our elected officials are more representative of voters in their districts.

Systemic problems require systemic solutions. We will not be able to come together as a nation until we are able to enact the reforms, like the Fair Representation Act, that ensure Americans are more truly represented in the People’s House.