In his recent column for the Baltimore Sun, Thomas Schaller, associate professor of political science, makes the point that a supermajority is needed to govern from the center-left, whereas a simple majority or even a minority is capable of governing from the center-right. “Progressives must win repeatedly and at every stage, whereas those opposed to change typically need to win but once, at any stage,” Schaller said.
The column, “Policies favoring conservatism built into the system,” ran Wednesday, January 26, in the Baltimore Sun. It was also posted by fivethirtyeight.com.
Paul Krugman, an op-ed columnist for The New York Times, referenced the column on his blog, The Curse Of The Supermajority, on January 27.
Schaller also conducted two radio interviews about this idea of a liberal supermajority threshold:
· Warren Olney’s "To The Point" on KCRW 89.9 FM; click here to listen
· “The Mark Steiner Show” on WEAA 88.9 FM; click here to listen
Both segments aired Wednesday, January 26.
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