The Current Political State of the Country:
After 8 years of Democratic control of the White House, Republicans have finally taken back the White House after a tumultuous election. They now control both houses of Congress and the Presidency and have big plans to dismantle most of Obama’s legacy and reduce the scope and reach of the government, especially in areas of healthcare and environmental regulations. They have encountered some difficulty in getting any major legislation passed as a lot of party in-fighting has ground conversation on repealing and replacing Obamacare to a halt.
President Trump campaigned on the promise to ‘shake things up,’ which has taken form in many ways. A businessman himself, he placed business people into high ranking Cabinet positions. Rex Tillerman, former CEO of ExxonMobil oil and energy company, received a positive reception when appointed as Secretary of State unlike the maelstrom around Betsy DeVos, former chairwoman of a large investment organization, when she was appointed Secretary of Education. The White House has seen significant turnover in personnel, both at President Trump’s transition and afterwards. He also placed a new Supreme Court Justice on the bench, Neil Gorsuch.
‘Shaking things up’ inherently causes chaos and Republican congress is facing deep ideological divides within their own party that President Trump is bringing to the surface. The Republican party is experiencing an identity crisis – what are Republican values when for so long it was simply ‘not Obama’?
Democrats are also experiencing a deep identity crisis and intense soul searching after Hillary Clinton lost the election. They have organized into ant-Trump resistance with mixed success. All of Trump’s cabinet passed despite active Democrat resistance, but Obamacare still exists. The ideological conflict between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton also exposed a deep divide within the Democratic party – how will they bring the party together to push their agenda forward?
President Trump has inspired the most activism our country has seen in decades – both for him and against him. People are tuned into politics in a way they haven’t been in a long time.
The Issues:
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The Economy: When Bill Clinton ran for the Presidency in 1992, his mantra was “It’s the economy, stupid!” While the economy is in much better shape than it was when President Obama took office, Americans have been frustrated with the sluggish pace of the recovery. Economic inequality has become a big issue, particular for Democrats. And the anger that is evident on both sides of the aisle largely stems from the fact that Americans feel they are getting squeezed economically and can't get ahead. Candidates need to have a very strong message on the economy that demonstrates a plan for action and greater growth. While Interest Groups are not as focused on the economy, they should think about how they can support their candidates in making an economic statement.
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Foreign Policy: Mission is not accomplished! United States troops are still in Kosovo (since 1999) and Afghanistan (since 2001) and some are now back in Iraq to fight ISIS and also in Syria after the recent civil war has displaced millions of people sparking a refugee crisis in Europe and caused tremendous loss of life. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reminded the world that Russia has nuclear weapons as Russian troops enter the Ukraine while North Korea continues to cause concern as it is testing a variety of weapons systems in secret.
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The Obama administration had worked to open relations with nations that were previously closed--most notably opening diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba and negotiating an end to Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. Democrats see the Obama administration as having made great progress in charting a new way to a more peaceful, connected 21st century. Republicans are outraged that Obama has entered into these negotiations and see his time in office as weakening the United States' role on the world stage. They advocate a return to a more hardline position with allies and enemies alike and the total destruction of ISIS as the center of their foreign policy should they capture the White House.
The debate on what to do with ISIS has taken a more pressing nature with “ISIS inspired” attacks happening in San Bernardino, California, a mall in Minnesota, and bombings in Manhattan, New York and New Jersey. What should America’s strategy be for taking down ISIS?
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Social Issues: Education has been a major issue during this time of tight state and local budgets and increased demands for accountability and Congress has finally moved to get rid of the onerous No Child Left Behind, replacing it with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that gives control over a lot of education policy back to the states after the challenge of the Common Core and mandatory testing. Besty DeVos is pushing charter and for-profit school alternatives which make many in public education furious.
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The last few years have seen a rise in high profile officer involved shootings of black youth that has led to the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement has put pressure on policymakers to look at policing as a central issue in their campaigns and has also brought a national spotlight to persistent achievement gaps between white people and people of color. Social media has been a big part of how these movements have spread and continue to gain attention and candidates across the political spectrum are being asked to take positions.
The protests turned terror attack in Charlottesville brought fringe white nationalist groups to a forefront, spurning debate on how to best handle race and racial issues in our country. This debate is also happening on football fields across the country where players have ‘taken a knee’ or been absent during the National Anthem prostesting police brutality against Black men and women.
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Health Care and the Environment: Much of the partisanship of the past 5 years has revolved around the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The law requires (almost) all Americans to have health insurance and imposes tax penalties on those who fail to purchase insurance. It allows everyone, even those with pre-existing conditions, access to health insurance and provides assistance to those who can’t afford it and are without employer coverage. People on the right say the mandate is a denial of individual rights and an example of government overreach-- the GOP-controlled House has held more than 40 votes to repeal it. Liberals feel that the policy doesn’t go far enough because it doesn’t guarantee health care to everyone, and lacks a public, or government-run, health care option. Nonetheless, the law has survived multiple Supreme Court challenges and has been largely implemented. President Trump and a Republican Congress has tried multiple times to repeal and replace but can’t seem to work out the details or gain enough support. The next president will have to decide if he/she wants a whole new approach, such as a single-payer system, or merely tinker with Obamacare to make it more successful/popular.
On the environment, President Trump has rolled back most of the Obama administration’s regulations and programs. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have left huge path of destruction through Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. Some money has been sent to those states and territory but more is always needed. How should the next administration handle natural disasters?