Getting from Here to There in Election Reform: A Trio of Ideas

Abstract

This paper proposes three different ideas for election reform: model districting commissions, a Democracy Index, and a Model Election Code. The three ideas are united by a single theme: we have a "here to there" problem in election reform. We have a good sense of the "here" (the problems with our current system) and lots of ideas about the "there" (how things ought to work in the future). But we need to focus more on the "here to there" - how to create an environment in which meaningful reform might actually take root.

If we want to create a more receptive environment for election reform, we should keep two priorities in mind. First, we should focus on changing the terms of the debate, which thus far has not resulted in a great deal of movement on reform issues. That is because, in my view, the key players in the reform process - voters, judges, the media, and policymakers - almost always lack a yardstick for judging reform debates. Ideally, these yardsticks should work not just for elites who are capable of absorbing complex debates, but for voters who will at best rely on shortcuts and heuristics to referee fights over election reform. Second, we should focus on the mechanisms that spur policy diffusion. There is a robust social science literature on policymaking mimicry. That literature suggests that shortcuts play a useful role in diffusing best practices. If our goal is to get from "here to there," the question is whether we can create other institutional and decisionmaking shortcuts that would build on these insights to speed the spread of good policy.

Keywords: Election Reform, Districting Reform, Election Administration, Redistricting, Model Election Code, Model Districting Commission, Democracy Index