Why the Two Parties Operate Differently

from Statecraft · host Santi Ruiz

Today I'm talking with Jo Freeman: a founding member of the women’s liberation movement in the 1960s, a civil rights campaigner, an attendee to every Democratic party convention since 1964, and a political scientist. She’s not the most typical Statecraft guest. But her work on how the two parties work - not just what they believe, but how they operate organizationally - is incredibly insightful. In this conversation, we dig into:* Why do the two parties fight so differently?* What makes someone powerful in each party?* How did the women's movement transform the Democratic Party?* What happened to convention caucuses? Did they stop mattering?* What does it mean when a movement starts "trashing" its own leaders?Reading list:Who You Know Versus Who You Represent: Feminist Influence in the Democratic and Republican PartiesThe Political Culture of the Democratic and Republican PartiesWhy Republican Party Leaders Matter More Than Democratic Ones (by Tanner Greer)Trashing: The Dark Side of SisterhoodThe Tyranny of Structurelessness This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.statecraft.pub

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This episode was published on January 29, 2025.

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