Any effort to restore democratic norms and institutions requires not just addressing the actions of President Trump but, more importantly, reversing trends of polarization and partisanship that have enabled him to abuse his power and will similarly enable any president who follows.

Whether or not Trump wins reelection, a truly existential question will remain: How do we dismantle a two-party duopoly that has led a generation-long race to the bottom in politics –– a duopoly that exacerbates, even celebrates, division, dysfunction, and distrust in our democratic institutions?

Although our two-party system is nearly as old as our Constitution itself, the danger presented today is that both parties have distinctively sorted across ideological, geographical, and demographic lines in such a way that our tribal tendencies have become significantly more powerful and potent. At the same time, both parties have created their own rules to entrench their own power in our government.