The primary solution Rescuing our democracy from the fringes

There is a certain amount of dysfunction endemic in America's electoral process, exemplified by the fact that, increasingly, more people are getting elected by a smaller percentage of the general electorate. Some of that is obviously due to partisan gerrymandering. However, Troiano's thesis is that a greater reason for this dysfunction is the flawed way in which primary elections are structured. In Primary Solution, he puts forth his premise, describes what he sees as the problems, and proposes a number of solutions he argues would remedy the dysfunction. These include having open primaries not restricted to party affiliation, and adopting the Alaskan model, where people vote for a number of candidates based on preference. Troiano's reasoning is vigorous, but some of his premises are debatable. As with all true believers, he tends to ignore or dismiss certain arguments that don't fit his narrative. Overall, the readership for this book would likely be limited to those with a keen interest in the minutia of the electoral process. But among that readership, debate will doubtless be sparked.

A bold proposal for significant political change. In his debut book, Troiano, executive director of Unite America, a philanthropic venture fund that promotes nonpartisan election reform, argues forcefully for abolishing partisan primaries that allow participation only by voters registered as Republican or Democrat. These elections attract very low turnout by "tiny factions of voters on the fringes who are most likely to participate and the special interests that aim to influence them." In 2022, 8% of voters in partisan primaries determined 83% of House contests. The author explores several options for reforming primaries to allow for better representation. "All registered voters," he asserts, "regardless of their party affiliation, should have a say in choosing the final candidates for president." Currently, 15 states block independents, and another 15 prevent cross-party voting. Louisiana, Washington, California, and Alaska, though, have abolished partisan primaries, and Troiano argues that adding six states to that roster would significantly reduce the "toxic levels of polarization" blighting the political landscape: "The twenty senators and dozens of House members from those states, roughly divided by party, would be liberated from the Primary Problem and no longer under the threat of being primaried by the fringes." Politicians instead would aim to build support from the widest possible coalition. Troiano offers several models for election reform, including a change in electoral vote counting. In addition, he makes a case for a national primary day, which would follow a generous vetting period, so that early-primary states would not get disproportionate attention. The author draws on numerous studies as well as his experience as a congressional candidate (he ran as an independent in 2014) to make a strong case for "disentangling the process of nominating candidates, which should belong to the parties, from the process of electing candidates, including primaries, which should belong to the public." A fresh, timely political analysis. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.