2026-09-14
6 分钟The Economist.
Welcome to Editor's Picks.
I'm Charlotte Howard.
I'm the co-host of our American politics podcast, Checks and Balance.
You are about to hear an article we have chosen from the most recent edition of The Economist.
We hope you enjoy it.
The midterms approach, America's two main parties are conducting opposite experiments.
Republicans march in lockstep behind Donald Trump,
who summoned his troops to Dallas this week to celebrate his awesomeness.
He also offered every American adult a $5,000 check if Republicans win.
Democrats, by contrast, are bickering over their leaders, strategy and ideology.
The party has no standard bearer, while socialists who once flitted around its edge are trying to become its heart.
On the campaign trail, Republican discipline will beat democratic chaos, or so Republicans hope.
But political parties are not armies.
Their members' duty is not merely to obey.
They should debate, adapt and attract talent.
They should be open to new leaders and new ideas.
That's especially true after the political transformation wrought by Mr Trump.
By those measures, the unified Republican Party looks increasingly unhealthy,
whereas the disunited Democrats may be engaged in the messy work of renewal.