Common Ground - Should the U.S. Have a Multi-Party System?

Common Ground presents this discussion about U.S. political parties on Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel. Mimi Geerges from C-SPAN will moderate a spirited discussion between Kerry Healy, former Lt. Governor and the Executive Chair of the Forward Party, and Doug Jones, former U.S. Senator and practicing attorney.

Common Ground - Multi-Party System livestream thumbnail — Watch the Oct. 3 discussion.

Background

According to the Pew Research Center, it has been over 50 years since a candidate who was not from the Democratic or Republican party has won any state in a presidential election. Independent and third-party candidates struggle to gain traction, but many U.S. adults report unfavorable views of the dominant parties and a desire for more political parties and candidates to choose from. This Common Ground conversation will explore the benefits and challenges of moving toward a multi-party system in the U.S.

Former Lt. Governor Kerry Healey is the executive chair of the Forward Party. The Forward Party (FWD) is a centrist political party founded in 2021 by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Lt. Governor Healey served under Governor Mitt Romney from 2003 to 2007 and she was president of Babson College from 2013 to 2019. She has held several board and council positions focusing on foreign and domestic public policy and is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones was the first Democrat in 25 years to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate, where he served from 2018 to 2021. He is an attorney and notably prosecuted the two former Klansmen responsible for the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that killed four young black girls. Senator Jones is currently a distinguished senior fellow with The Center for American Progress, a commentator for CNN, and an attorney for ArentFox Schiff.

Should the U.S. Have a Multi-Party System?

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Should the U.S. Have a Multi-Party System?

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About the Event

Speaker - Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, Executive Chair of the Forward Party

Speaker - Senator Doug Jones

Moderator - Mimi Geerges

Additional Resources

Contact