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4: Fourth level of democracy — We, the People

When discussing the third level of democracy, we strayed away from the concept of the power to the people. In this step, we make sure to give the power back to the People, so that we can come full circle back to the first level of democracy.

Duverger Syndrome

The Duverger Syndrome is democracies' most critical illness. Both the causes and the fixes are known. Solutions must be applied as a matter of priority.

Most, if not all, of the symptoms of the Duverger Syndrome will be familiar to anybody reading these pages. What we need to realise is that these symptoms are intimately linked to known root causes. The proposed solutions will not fix everything, but they will help in making a noticeable difference.

Read on, as we continue researching and developing this section of the website, about the symptoms, the causes as well as some historical examples in different countries of the Duverger Syndrome.

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The symptoms of the Duverger Syndrome

Duverger symptom 1: divisive dualism

Democratic countries throughout the world all have electorates of millions of voters who seem to neatly fall into two broad camps. Is that natural? Is that healthy?

Duverger symptom 2: destructive alternance

What is alternance and what's wrong with it?

Duverger symptom 3: party politics

Putting party over country, the rat race for power...

Duverger symptom 4: negative campaigning

Negative campaigning and dirty politics. It does not have to be this way!

Duverger symptom 5: lack of choice, lack of good candidates

Why our electoral choice always seems to be limited to two less-than-ideal candidates...

Duverger symptom 6: extremism

Our electoral system, far from helping us finding consensual candidates with broad appeal, seem to favour divisive politicians coming from the extremes.

Duverger symptom 7: Periodical political realignments

Regular upheavals in political and social conditions cause major changes in the two-party system.

Duverger's Law

Duverger's Law

On single winner electoral systems and the tendency for a two party system.

Historical examples

Duverger example: USA, 19th century

The United States has not always had a two-party political system. It started during the 1836 presidential elections.

Duverger example: USA, 21st century

Duverger example: Taiwan 2000 and 2004 presidential elections

Duverger example: Taiwan 2024 presidential election

Duverger example: France and the dangers of alternance

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