Lecture 9: Trump and the Liberal Democratic System Flashcards
impact of strident present who’s ignores gov checks and balances?
= a white house that’s fundamentally pitted against congress, courts and free press
= threat of system of government based on shared and competing power
question on undermine or rejuvenate democracy
• Does Trump’s use of a combative executive authority undermine or rejuvenate America’s democratic system and its legitimacy?
3 ways trump side steps checks and balances (unilateral strategies of change
hostile cabinet heads
executive orders
legitimacy of other branches + free press
how did trump hire hostile cabinet heads and what is their function
IN SHORT: Trump seeks to delegitimize government itself.
- Deconstruction of the administrative state
Stripping of fed gov regulations bc they block production and creation of jobs
what does executive orders do
Imposing policy without congressional legislation
THE PROBLEM: Executive Orders, while they provide a means for Presidents to act without Congressional involvement, are primarily a way just to signal what the Administration would like to see happen.
how do executive orders reflect his business company model
Reflects ‘his company’ history
• Not the gov puzzle designed to stymy the use of unilateral decision making
explain travel ban and executive orders
- 27th Jan, temporally halted all refugees entering US, and 90 day full entrance ban on visitors from 7 mainly Muslim countries including Iraq and Iran
- Designed to honour pledge of safer US borders
- = assume decisive, making change
how did trump attack courts
o After travel ban court ruled it violated legal right to seek emigration to the US
o Tweet: “Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!”
how does trump attack free press
o open conflict with the American press, due to its coverage of the Trump Administration’s failings to date and what it argues are its exaggerations of the truth.
o FAKE NEWS” and “THE ENEMY of the American People
o Ban of left win from briefings while allowing far right
o Effect: blame THE MEDIA and SOCIAL MEDIA outlets for any news that is critical of President Trump and his Administration
is liberal democracy under threat? what SHOULD happen
- Gov built to be divided and check itself, while citizens must continuously protect their sovereignty and make sure government SERVES THE PEOPLE, in part by informing themselves through the FREE PRESS.
is the trump deligimization as threat or reform
de-legitimation” represent a THREAT or the potential for REFORM and REJUVENATION to the American liberal democratic system?
process of undermining democratic norm
- American political polarization has created a divide in which rivals “demonize” each other, and lose respect for alternative views.
- The result, fuelled by economic decline and inequality, has weakened citizens’ loyalty to the system itself, and led to support for an authoritarian leader who says “I alone can fix it.”
- This polarized and angry rift weakened citizens’ support for the “democratic norm” that is vital to democracy – the belief that process and compromise and alternative views are desirable.
- It undermines the DEMOCRATIC NORM.
4 implications of trump presidency
- Trump vaccine: backlash revitalizes democratic support
- Democratic decay: citizens view system as tainted
- The Forerunner: successor builds on trumps normalization of authoritarian policies
- American Authoritariansim
what ideals links gov to healthcare
assion for self-reliance and fear of government intrusion in the lives of American citizens.
how is healthcare aligned with benign society
• Aligned with idea that society is benign and should not play role in equality
