https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7lCgKfxmuQ
He appears to be discussing certain points in his book, The Decline and Fall of the American Republic. Here are a few:
- The rise of a dual-election system for president increases the likelihood of an extremist president. Imagine a political spectrum ranging from 1 to 100. In a single election, the winning candidate appeals to the fat 50 range. In a dual-election primary system the winning candidate appeals to the fat extremes of 25 and 75.
- The decline of the press leaves an information vacuum which political media manipulators fill to the president's advantage
- The constant rat-tat-tat of the War on X (where X is drugs and terror) gives a sense of urgency that only unilateral presidential action can address.
- The rise of the military as a check (or aid) to presidential power (think Turkey).
- Cabinet-level departments are increasingly influenced or controlled by non-confirmed staffers (e.g., Elizabeth Warren), removing an important check on presidential power.
- The lack of a "Leader of the Opposition" position in the American system leaves the job of braking presidential power to a diffuse Congress.
- The rise of polls as de facto privatized elections that legitimize the administration's agenda ("polls show the majority of Americans favor the President's actions").
Ackerman also notes the key role the Obama administration played in advancing these trends. This is not a question of parties, but of institutions.