I've been saying for a long time that the GOP is badly in need of reform, both to purge the extremists who have a disproportionate influence (as extremists tend to, being the squeaky wheels who demand to be greased), and to purge the corrupt apparatchiks of the machine. What I wouldn't want is for the GOP to disappear, leaving a defacto one-Party state. I thought it was a horrible, unAmerican idea when Republicans dreamed of a "permanent Republican majority", and I think it would be equally bad for America to see a permanent Democratic majority. Chex-n-balances aren't just for the formal institutions of government, they're a vital part of a healthy diet for the entire body politick.

In thinking about the problem, I suspect that a two-party system is responsible for radicalizing minority political groups. When you're a Libertarian or a suburban Socialist, your only choice is between hijacking an entire major party, or sitting on the sidelines. There's nothing like being shut out of politics for a few years to piss people off and make them resolve to be heard, no matter what the cost.

Something like a parliamentary system might work better today, when the world's become infinitely more complex than it was in the Founders' time. Then again, a two-party system isn't written into the Constitution. Near as I can figure, it's maintained by rules in Congress that apportion everything between a majority and a minority party. Period. If you're not represented in even the minority party, you're out in the cold. Outside of Congress, there are also the various winner-takes-all systems at the state level that further dichotomize politics. I wonder, if we reform those two areas, would we see a lot less hyperpartisanship and polarization?