Introduction
Politics and power are two sides of the same coin that determine a country’s progress. In history, Americans have elected leaders with different life perspectives and views. Many people haven’t grasped the concept of a leader’s character reflecting the country’s culture. However, a keen look at past presidents and their agendas reveals the age-old struggle between democracy and supremacy. This paper focuses on President Trump’s election and the events in his administration that showed the role of racism, white supremacy, populism, sexism, polarization, and identity politics in American Politics.
Racism is Still Rampant in American Politics
Racism has been a part of global politics since the pre-colonial period. Racial segregation was so advanced during colonial rule that many thought it would end with abolishing slavery, establishing democracy, and multi-party politics. The situation in America is, however, different from what the world would perceive it to be. The campaign and election of President Donald Trump reveal how racism has continued to cripple democracy and further divide Americans under racial identity.
The rise of Trump’s leadership comes after two terms of President Barrack Obama’s leadership. Perhaps the comparison between Presidents Obama and Trump makes it easier to identify and analyze the theme of racism in American politics. In his article published in the National Review, French critiques the arguments made by Coates, terming President Trump as the first white president (French 2017). French outlines the racial inclination of President Trump’s administration, referring to his campaign statements and supporters.
It would be expected that Americans would vote for a leader whose ideals matched the national unity agenda. Campaigns are one of the ways of identifying a leader’s traits. However, looking at Trump’s campaigns and election, one may wonder whether his election was a mere backlash against a Black presidency. For instance, French (2017) notes that many Republicans ignored, excused, and defended Trump’s sins and the racist behavior of his most vocal supporters. With all the evidence of racism presented by President Trump and his supporters and still electing him, Americans reveal that racism still stalks the nation.
American Politics Revolve around White Supremacy
For decades before the Obama Presidency, America was ruled by White people. Over time, this notion of a white presidency was so engraved in people’s minds that after President Obama’s leadership, Americans were so eager to revert to their ways. Coates wrote about this notion in his article published in The Atlantic. Coates’ view of American politics is that of a static leadership governed by age-old white supremacy (Coates 2017, 74-87). America claims to be a democratic republic whose citizens have the free will to elect their leaders. However, it appears that their minds are still held by the traditional inheritance-like form of governance where their forefathers handed the mantle down to their descendants, whose only qualification was whiteness. Mason, Wronski, and Kane (2021) contribute to the discussion on white supremacy by affirming that Trump’s leadership showed how Americans were willing to sacrifice democracy for whiteness.
White supremacy, just like racism, is founded on the belief that none other than a white president should govern the people. At least Obama’s presidency was guided by virtue and reforms that have remained significant in America (Coates 2017, 74-87). Gauging by President Trump’s campaign manifesto, it is clear that all he was peddling was the idea of bringing forth an “America by the people, for the people” (Coates 2017, 75). It is important to understand here that “the People,” according to Trump, meant the Native Americans. In essence, Coates (2017, 78) shows that were it not for being white; Trump would not have risen to power. This clearly indicates white supremacy and its power over American politics.
In America, white supremacy is a tool of segregation and the core of politics and power. Although he has not held any government leadership position before, Trump’s ascension to power shows that whiteness overrides and suppresses skills in American politics. Coates (2017, 80) puts it clearly in their article that President Trump’s campaign and leadership were founded on raising an American defender for Americans against Mexican rapists. This statement implies that Trump viewed whiteness as “blamelessness,” thereby considering Mexicans the only rapists who needed to be stopped. No wonder President Trump himself got away with scandals of extolling sexual assault and fending off any such accusations raised against his white friends (Coates 2017, 74-89). For such a man to get away with all his vices and get to the white house, white supremacy proves to be very central in America’s politics.
Populism and Sexism and Significant Factors in American Politics
Every leader knows that the key to a high position is appealing to the public. Nothing woos the public more than finding someone who shows them how they will handle all the problems other elite leaders have ignored. The 2016 election that culminated in Trump’s presidency is a clear indication of the power of populism in American politics. According to Oliver and Wendy (2016, 189-206), President Trump’s campaign can be summarized into one word: populism. He had no clear manifesto, no experience, and was surrounded by more scandals than his competitor, Hillary Clinton. Lee (2020) confirms that populism creates opportunities and constraints that define America’s political landscape. Trumps. Sentiments during his campaign were pro-nationalist, anti-elitist, and inclined to simplicity (Oliver and Wendy 2016, 190). These factors created a large representation gap which became a significant descriptor of Trump’s ascension to power.
Sexism is another crucial aspect that defines American politics, with a particular focus on the 2016 election. According to Bitecofer (2018, 93-103), Trump’s presidency can be described in one word: unprecedented. This follows from the fact that Hillary Clinton was better placed to win the election than President Trump. Although both candidates made mistakes, Trump’s campaign was haphazard, and no one expected him to win the election (Bitecofer 2018, 95). His unprecedented win came after Hillary lost the Electoral College, which is attributed to an electoral strategy that did not appeal to the traditionally-minded members. Although Hillary had more votes overall, Trump won since his votes were distributed over more states than the ones held by Clinton. The main reason here is that many Americans shied away from endorsing the first female president in America’s history, made worse by Trump’s populist strategy.
Polarization and Identity Politics Largely Define American Politics
The American political landscape has been segregated into two main groups: democrats and Republicans. The basis of this polarization is primarily identity politics, as shown by Sides, Michael, and Lynn (2018). Identity politics revolve around leaders’ skills in identifying themselves with the prevalent needs at different times. Identity politics explain why Obama became the first black president at a time when racial injustice was prevalent (Sides, Michael, and Lynn 2018). In another study, Reny, Loren, and Ali (2016) argue that Trump’s campaign basis on racial and immigration factors led to his presidency. Trump identified with these two needs as they were on the rise after President Obama’s term. President Trump’s quick move to identify with people’s needs contributed to his popularity and gave him many votes distributed across several states. Essentially, this proves that America has a polarized political system where identity politics thrive.
Conclusion
America has a highly polarized political system where democracy is governed by populism, identity politics, sexism, and racism. This paper shows that President Trump’s election to the presidency revealed the deeply rooted vices that limit democracy and perpetuate incompetent leadership. President Trump was not expected to win the election, especially following his poor campaign strategies, multiple scandals, and racism propagated by his supporters. Everyone expected Hillary Clinton to win after getting the majority vote. However, Trump advanced his populist strategies and identity politics, focusing on migration and racism. As people were transitioning from Obama’s presidency, racial segregation was at its peak. Whites need to be assured that their needs would be prioritized, something Trump understood and capitalized on. In conclusion, Trump’s election reveals that democracy has been trampled underfoot by racist agendas and exalted populist leaders who thrive on static political structures. Although America claims to be democratic, the pieces of evidence presented in this paper reveal that the country is far from attaining full democracy.
References
Bitecofer, Rachel. The Unprecedented 2016 Presidential Election. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, Ch. 7 “Everybody Sucks, 2016,” pp. 93-103. Web.
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. “The First White President.” The Atlantic (2017): 74-87.
French, David. “No, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Trump Isn’t ‘America’s First White President’” National Review 2017.
Lee, Frances E. “Populism and the American Party System: Opportunities and Constraints.” Perspectives on Politics 18, no. 2 (2020): 370–88. Doi: 10.1017/S1537592719002664
Mason, Liliana., Wronski, Julie, and Kane, John V. “Activating Animus: The Uniquely Social Roots of Trump Support,” American Political Science Review. Cambridge University Press, 2021, pages 1–9. Web.
Oliver, J. Eric, and Wendy, M. Rahn. “Rise of the Trumpenvolk: Populism in the 2016 Election.” The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 667, no. 1 (2016): 189-206.
Reny, Tyler T., Loren, Collingwood, and Ali, A. Valenzuela. “Vote Switching in the 2016 Election: How Racial and Immigration Attitudes, Not Economics, Explain Shifts in White Voting,” Public Opinion Quarterly, Volume 83, Issue 1, 2019, Pages 91–113.
Sides, John., Michael, Tesler and Lynn, Vavreck. Identity Crisis. Princeton University Press, 2018.