1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

<message> The current system of party primaries is contributing to political gridlock and hyper-partisan lawmaking. It is time to reform this outdated process in Pennsylvania. I propose instituting Final-Five Voting, which combines open, top-five primaries and instant-runoff voting in general elections. This would eliminate the pressure from extreme wings of both parties that is currently incentivizing legislators to take hardline stances instead of compromising for practical solutions. With open, non-partisan primaries, the top five candidates would advance regardless of party affiliation. And in the general election, ranked-choice instant runoff voting ensures the winner has true majority support. This system allows for healthy competition from dynamic new candidates outside the two-party structure. Most importantly, it frees legislators from having to cater to the narrow interests of partisan primary voters. They can focus instead on representing the broader interests of their constituents and advancing problem-solving legislation through cross-party cooperation. The recent passage of the American Rescue Plan along straight party lines underscores the need for this reform. If just a few more states like Pennsylvania adopt Final-Five Voting, we could rapidly see a bloc of legislators in Congress empowered to break the toxic partisan gridlock. It's time to change the incentives driving legislator behavior – the future of effective governance is at stake. For more information on this topic, read The Politics Industry by Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter.</message>