The Forgotten History of the GOP: Is It Time to Bring Back Fusion Voting?

Whether it’s foreign-policy hawks on the right, cultural conservatives on the left, or fiscal conservatives anywhere, the reductive binary of today’s electoral options can be deeply frustrating for intraparty minority groups. Considering how various 19th-century movements combined to form the Republican Party offers some paths out of that frustration.Guest Jennifer Dresden joins us to discuss the forgotten history of fusion voting and how it might serve disaffected voters today. Jennifer Dresden is a policy strategist at Protect Democracy, a non-profit and non-partisan group dedicated to promoting “free and fair elections, the rule of law, fact-based debate, and a better democracy for future generations.” This podcast discusses themes from Jennifer’s essay in the Spring 2025 issue of National Affairs, “Strategic Fusion and the GOP.”