In a Post-Trump World, Goal Number One is Restoring the Institutions of America.
Following the chaos of the Revolutionary War, the first priority of our country’s founders was to provide peace and stability. In a world that was used to monarchy and about to be plunged into revolution after revolution, the founding democracy of the modern era had to prove that it could govern and care for the people’s needs as effectively as any Old World power. America had just won its independence from the most powerful cultural and military force in the world; now it had to justify the existence of a new form of government to the citizens of the colonies.
It was with these concerns in mind that our Founding Fathers created our system of government. The separation of powers, the freedoms granted by the constitution, and our civil society were all built to ensure that our freedoms were both enshrined in law and provided transparency and accountability to the citizens. These governmental institutions worked in tandem with religious organizations, social clubs, local communities, and business to provide a web of institutional and regional stability for the country.
For many years, our public faith in our government and institutions were the envy of any world power. Our government worked hard to build a reputation for consistency of character on the world stage over the next century. We looked inward, and struggled to live up the ideals of our declaration, through civil wars and manifest destinies. We looked to be good neighbors as a nation, and reliable as allies. It was this reputation for working to do the right thing that allowed us to have the moral authority to lead the world in the 20th and beginning of the 21st century. We successfully worked together with our allies to prevail in the world wars, and would lead the world to the successful end of the Cold War.
Over the last 60 years, however, America has been through significant turmoil that in one way or another shook the public’s faith in our country. The death of JFK, Watergate, Iran-Contra, Bill Clinton’s infidelity, The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the recession all did their part to make us question ourselves. These incidents were compounded by the rise of cable news, exposure of our civil rights failures, botched government responses to crises, and major scandals such as the Catholic Church’s abuse coverup. Each of these presented a shock to American institutions, but the other institutions would do their part to make up the difference.
The Obama presidency, while calm on the outside, saw a serious erosion of public faith in institutions across the board. The country very publicly grappled with a gridlocked congress, polarization of the news media, and stagnating wages. We had to question whether black or blue lives mattered and rediscover serious abuse within our churches. Growing disillusionment caused Americans to gamble on a shakeup of the consensus that governed America since WWII, and to elect Donald Trump.
Sadly, Donald Trump’s upset victory in 2016 has rapidly accelerated the loss of trust in the media, government, and social institutions. We’re to the point where “fake news” is as prevalent as real news. We have found ourselves going from the rarified air of a stable country to becoming susceptible to the worst impulses of stagnating countries across the world, and as a result, America is in serious jeopardy of going from the exceptional, indispensable nation in geopolitics to a nation that’s as unstable as any other.
The Coronavirus crisis and mismanagement by the Trump Administration only serves as a reminder that when the chips are down, people need to be able to trust that institutions will function as necessary and help mitigate the crises of the day. What some might claim to be the “deep state” is in actuality a collection of America’s most devoted public servants working diligently to ensure the safety, prosperity, and functioning of our democracy. The fact is, much of this potential pandemic could have been contained had the CDC hadn’t been gutted, if Trump was honest about the coming pandemic instead of describing it as a hoax, or if bad faith actors in the media weren’t misleading the public about crucial safety measures.
America has a pivotal role in providing leadership in times of crisis such as this. We led during polio, measles, SARS, Ebola, and more. The Trump administration has shown that right now, under their leadership, America is incapable of leading the world in combating a clear and present danger. That is incredibly perilous for our wellbeing as a nation. Our position in the world is absolutely dependent on our ability to lead and to provide stability for our friends and allies. To continue doing that into the rest of the century, we need to take the time to restore our institutions resiliency and functionality. The truth is, the world won’t wait for us if we fail to rise to the challenge. That’s why the next presidency needs to be focused on restoring the institutional stability of America.
Christian Thrailkill is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, musician, and columnist. He lives in Dallas, Texas. Follow him on Twitter @Wolvie616
