By Serene Kombargi, Staff Writer
With the coronavirus pandemic, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the upcoming presidential transition, it is fair to say that the U.S. has acquired a bizarre political climate. The fate of America lies in the hands of two complex and controversial figures, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and one questions the longevity of democracy in a time of great disorder and unpredictability. The “gate-keepers” intended to regulate extremists from the government are deteriorating. These gate-keepers intend to preserve democracy, and they include the different political parties and institutions, voting, and even media present in the U.S. However, the efficiency, speed, and circulation made available with modern-day media has led to increasing polarization in America’s political environment. It has disrupted the political “norm,” encouraging the use of crude rhetoric and the spread of misinformation, therefore manipulating America’s political environment and opposing the “guardrails,” or more specifically, the requirements of “institutional forbearance” or “mutual toleration” necessary for democracy.
The use of negative or demeaning rhetoric from U.S. politicians increases polarization between political parties, thus distancing America from democracy. This process is not new. With the rise of Newt Gingrich in the 1978 Congressional campaign, the use of rhetoric to deteriorate the “other” gained popularity. For instance, Gingrich accused Congress of being “corrupt,” “sick,” and intending to “destroy” the U.S. Similarly, Trump has used this tactic to gain popularity and to evoke a sense of “progress” by appealing to predominantly white, Christian nationalist Americans through igniting the fear of the other. This promotion of intolerance opposes the concept of egalitarianism within American society and violates the idea of “mutual toleration” being one of the guardrails necessary for democracy.
This political tactic has only been amplified by the accessibility and circulation of news made possible with 21st-century media. In recent years, conservatives have illustrated Barack Obama as an anti-democratic figure, a “fake American,” and an Islamic terrorist. Consequently, many followers of the Republican Party not only opposed but feared Obama’s presidency. This misinformation feeds into the fear of the unknown and misunderstood other which has deepened the division between individuals of left- and right-leaning political stances unlike ever before.
Gate-keepers in America are failing as a result of the availability of external funding for political candidates, and also as a result of the growing prominence and influence of the media. The deterioration of this system became evident when Trump came into power after the 2016 presidential election. According to political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, Trump passes the litmus test used to assess whether a political candidate qualifies as an authoritarian ruler, in which he demonstrates “weak commitment towards the democratic rules of the game,” he denies the authenticity of his political opponents, promotes the “toleration” and even the “encouragement of violence,” amongst his supporters, and finally, he restricts the “civil liberties” of his opponents, including their presence in the media. Alongside wealth, one could say that social media has acted as Trump’s “umbilical cord” guaranteeing his success and popularity, and that his actions violate the “institutional forbearance” and “mutual toleration” attributed to the guardrails of democracy.
The uncanny resemblance of Trump to an authoritarian ruler demonstrates the prominence of the media in manipulating America’s political environment. The degradation of the gate-keeping system alongside the polarizing effects of 21st-century multi-media violates political norms unlike ever before and opposes the guardrails necessary for democracy to prosper. If this persists, perhaps, it is safe to say that democracy is dying in the United States of America.
Image credit: Foreign Affairs
