The Undemocratic State of Tennessee: Political Meltdown and Calls for Resignation.
Tennessee's political landscape has shifted from a model of competition and competence to a grim culmination of nationalized elections, extreme gerrymandering, and tribalism between the two parties. The collapse of local media and internet-accelerated siloing of news has also contributed to the state's political meltdown. The recent school shooting in Nashville and the defrocking of two young Black lawmakers who carried protests onto the floor of the House chamber have spotlighted what Tennessee was and what it has become. The state's tripartite nature between East, Middle, and West Tennessee demanded coalition-building, but now voters are confined to safely red or blue districts and are animated by partisan impulses down the ballot.