Surprise Trump is good for Democracy
Surprisingly, President Donald J. Trump is good for democracy with a small “d.” Instead of killing democracy, Trump is making it stronger.
For example, 2018 saw the highest turnout in a midterm election in over a century; with 49.3% of America’s eligible voters casting ballots, the United States Election Project estimates. Notably, the 2018 midterms had the highest percentage of voter turnout in 104 years, since 1914, Vox claims.
On the other hand, the 2014 midterms; held when the supposedly democratic Barack Obama (D-Illinois) was in the White House, had the lowest voter turnout in 72 years. In fact, the voter turnout rate for the 2014 midterms was 36.7%.
Trump is good for Democracy voter participation is increasing
Moreover, voter turnout in 25 states was over 50%; and in five states voter was over 60%, in 2018. Hence, American democracy is stronger than ever and voter participation is rising after less than two years of the Trump presidency.
We could see even higher voter turnout in 2020 because of Trump, Michael McDonald prophesies. McDonald is an associate professor at the University of Florida and head of the U.S. Election Project.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see record turnout,” McDonald says of 2020.
Trump is good for democracy and Democrats
Indeed, Trump is good for democracy because he increases voter turnout. Thus the election of Donald J. Trump (R-New York) was the best thing to happen to American democracy in decades.
This is surprising because Trump is a corrupt and incompetent racist, sexist, and nihilist with authoritarian tendencies. However, it could be Trump’s bigotry and corruption that is fueling the upsurge in voting.
For instance, 60 million people voted Democrat in the 2018 midterms, FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver claims. Therefore, Trump is good for small “d” democracy and the Democratic Party.
For instance, 60 million people voted Democrat in the 2018 midterms, FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver claims. Therefore, Trump is good for small “d” democracy and the Democratic Party.
“Of course, this reflects three things we already knew: 1) Trump was elected despite losing the popular vote; 2) D’s won by a big margin this year and 3) Turnout was VERY high,” Silver Tweeted on 18 November 2018. “But Trump is a very unpopular president, and I don’t think that’s totally sunk in yet in how he’s covered.”
Trump is good for Democracy
Thus, the American people still believe in democracy and many of them view Trump as a threat to it. Hence, Trump is good for democracy because of his anti-democratic tendencies.
Beyond voting Trump is encouraging other forms of democratic participation like protest marches. For instance, The Guardian estimates 120,000 Americans took part in the Woman’s March against Trump on 20 January 2018.
Significantly, individual donations to anti-Trump politicians have increased. For example, left-wing former Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) raised $78.962 million for his unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid, Open Secrets estimates. Most of that money reportedly came from small individual donors.
The Resistance is Wrong Trump is good for Democracy
Under these circumstances, the Resistance narrative of Trump threatening American democracy is false. Instead, American democracy is healthier than ever in the age of Trump.
There is most compelling evidence that Trump’s presidency is increasing the diversity of American democracy. For instance, two of the three individuals mentioned as front runners for the Democratic presidential nomination; U.S. Senators Corey Booker (D-New Jersey) and Kamala Harris (D-California) are African-American. In fact, Harris is also half Asian-Indian.
Plus, three of the top seven potential Democratic presidential candidates are women. In detail, the three are U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-California) and Harris.
Trump is good for Democracy in the Republican Party
In the final analysis, Trump is good for democracy in the Republican Party and the country.
For all its faults, the Trumpist populist-dogma of nationalism, isolationism, protectionism, and anti-immigration is closer to the views of rank-and-file Republicans than the Grand Old Party’s (GOP) previous neoliberal dogma. For better or worse, Trump ended the rule of elitist out of touch conservative think tank intellectuals over the GOP.
For example, the demise of the neoconservative mouthpiece The Weekly Standard will clear the way for “a Main Street conservatism” at the GOP, John A. Burtka IV predicts. To clarify, the Main Street conservatism will try to put the concerns and beliefs of average Americans ahead of ideology.
Main Street conservatism will include a less aggressive foreign policy, and policies like tax credits designed to strengthen the family, Burtka predicts. Burtka is the executive director of The American Conservative magazine.
In addition, Burtka believes “Main Street conservatism” will fight crony capitalism and income inequality by breaking up concentrations of wealth and power. Significantly, Burtka thinks Main Street Conservatism will enhance civic education which could strengthen democracy.
Trump is good for democracy because he could make the Republican Party more democratic.
Will Trump’s Boost for Democracy Last
The evidence indicates Trump is good for democracy. Conversely, this democratic boost raises a troubling question: will the increase in democratic participation outlast Trump?
No matter what happens, Trump will exit the national stage sooner or later. Consequently, the democratic upsurge could subside as soon as soon as the Donald bows out.
Only history will tell us if the democratic upsurge triggered by Trump will last. However, the present populist Democratic upsurge bears a striking resemblance to one that occurred under Trump’s supposed hero President Andrew Jackson (D-Tennessee).
Like Andrew Jackson, Trump is good for Democracy
Comparatively, Jackson won the presidency on a populist tide in 1828 that increased voter participation. The results of Jackson’s democratic tide included increased political activity, greater radicalism, increased activism, and the expansion of democracy to disenfranchised groups.
For example, the Jacksonian Age (roughly 1828-1848) saw the first widespread movements for equal rights for women, workers, African Americans, immigrants, Catholics, and Native Americans. Plus, the first real political parties and mass campaigns appeared during the Age of Jackson. In addition, the abolitionist movement exploded from a tiny minority to an unstoppable political force during the Age of Jackson.
To summarize, Trump’s election could trigger a paradigm shift in American politics that strengthens democracy. An obvious consequence of that upheaval will be greater rights and power for women and people of color. Ironically, two groups of people Trump himself apparently despises.
Therefore, America could become more democratic than ever thanks to President Donald J. Trump (R-New York). Like Jackson, Trump is sparking a political upheaval that could destroy everything he values.
To clarify, Jackson was a racist and a slave owner who believed in small government. The Jacksonian Age ended with the Civil War which led to the abolition of slavery, Constitutional equality for nonwhites, and a bigger and more powerful federal government.
Therefore, the Age of Trump could lead to a more democratic America. In the final analysis, Trump is good for democracy.
