The high-falutin word is “duopolistic.”
Simply put, it means domination by two entities. Through much of our recent history, our duopolistic society included AP and UPI; Bloomberg and Reuters; Coke and Pepsi; and above all, Democrats and Republicans.
And indeed, the two party system of Democrats and Republicans has controlled everything from primaries to debates to the electoral college, and ultimately, controlled who will wield the most power in our nation.
But lately, and this month’s election may be the latest example, political parties may mean less to American voters. Instead, voters are turning more to beliefs, ideals or principles.
“As I watched the returns come in, the results came down to relevance rather than ideology,” said Dr. Sam Martin, Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs at Boise State University. “The dominant themes were things like affordability, housing, health care and the sense that folks’ wages just aren't keeping up with costs. “
And while Democrats may have had a good election night in Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan, Georgia, etc., Martin said Republicans would likely respond in the next political cycle. But to be truly competitive in the 2026 midterms, Martin said parties need to stop asking what they stand for in the abstract, and start asking how they can make people’s lives better.
Moving forward, Martin said voters will likely pose a different set of questions: “Does the person I’m voting for speak to my life experience?" and "Do they understand the changes that I’m hoping for to make my life a bit easier?”
Martin visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about those reflections and to preview the Wednesday, Nov. 12 event: “Can We Still Talk to One Another? Media, Discourse and Democracy.”
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
Copyright 2025 Boise State Public Radio
