Key Lessons: American Democracy, Essay Example

Presidency

In the US system, the president is expected to propagate American democracy. However, the success of this ideology depends on the relationship the specific president has with the institutional system. As such, Fred Greenstein posits that the presidential performance is edged on six personal dimensions which include, organizational capacity, vision, emotional intelligence, cognitive style, political skill, and effective public communication skills. In light of this personalized nature of the presidency, the results are unstable and inconsistent democracies since no single president exhibits strength in the six necessary dimensions. Each president presents unique strengths and weaknesses which work for or against him. Besides personal flaws, the president’s relationship with the political parties matters to a great extent for each incumbent turn.

There is a paradox in that open free decision making of US presidents does not translate to the satisfaction of public demands. In practice, what stands out is the status of two systemic relationships. First is the president’s relationship with the previous political complex of interest, and second is the current standing of the governmental arrangement in the nation. These two relationships play a critical role in determining the overall outcome of presidential performance. Therefore, different leadership challenges confront each president. However, if the president is affiliated with the political party that defines the ideologies and commitment of the government, there lies an opportunity that may foresee his/her success. Each relationship between the president and the political party engages the president in a different set of politics and political challenges. Therefore, political structures delimit the political capacities of the president and his/her tentative action.

Political Economy

Political economy is the relationship between politics and economics in different countries around the globe. The main issues of concern in the political economy are democracy, economic efficiency, and equality. Achieving the three states of economic efficiency, fairness, and democracy is possible if only politics and economic issues are not treated as separate entities. Economic freedom leads to political freedom and vice versa. The government has a critical role in determining aspects of the market, which the market cannot do for itself to create a balance. For instance, the existence of a monopoly is not suitable for the growth of the economy. It is only through the government that such issues can be rectified to ensure efficiency in the market. The government is meant to maintain law and order, but most governmental reforms have been awful, turning the bright hopes of economic efficiency to ashes. They have taken from some to benefit others instead of promoting the general interest.

Economic theories of capitalism, communism, and socialism are meant to work for the greater good of all individuals. On the other hand, politics should establish frameworks of debate that promote the preferences of society. As such, the economic importance of the government has grown to advance growth in specific sectors such as the military and health care for the greater good. Besides, most businesses work to serve personal interests that are not democratic, and neither do they promote equality. Even though most US residents thought that the expansion of the governmental role was opposition to capitalism, in practice, the government has enhanced profit-making in the business environment.

Campaigns And Elections

Campaigns and elections in the US are a complicated process where the Electoral College determines the winner. As a result, presidential contestants tend to concentrate on a handful of contested states to strategically position them for success. Besides, voting rights are not automatic, but state and national levels primarily determine them. It thus raises a concern on the integrity of elections. Voting laws demand photo identifications, yet most minority groups are not able to acquire the photo IDs. This practically limits the participation of minority groups even though personal willingness also plays a part in overcoming the said barrier.

The voting system in the US is not similar to the rest of the democratic world. The steps required in voting discourages most potential voters, and in turn, there is a very low turn-out in voting. Besides, voting is done on a weekday and does not give more than a day to participate. This again affects participation in that several people are locked out in the voting process. Indeed, the structure of US elections drives down voter turn-out.

Application Of Key Takeaway To Covid-19

In light of the current crisis of COVID-19, US citizens are slowly disapproving of President Donald Trump for not acting quickly. The freedom of decision making has not been well received by the public. From the onset of the disease, Trump seemed not alarmed. He was notified as early as the end of January concerning the potential impact of the disease in the US. Conversely, he kept encouraging the public that the government was working tirelessly to contain the pandemic. Nonetheless, by March, it was evident to the people that the government had lost control of the disease. Trump was only buying time in the face of an emergency issue. In turn, the move to lockdown happened too quickly that it affected the US economy. In this instance, we see that political decisions affect the economy directly and indirectly. Trump also announced that the US would withdraw funding World Health Organization (WHO) so that they can concentrate the funds in the national response to COVID-19. Such a short-sighted decision has affected the capability of WHO in fighting COVID-19.

The US election cycle happens every four years in coincidentally; it should take place in November this year. There is so much uncertainty since the success of fighting the pandemic is still so blurred. The most viable political action will be less risky such as voting via email. In turn, this will reduce the number of people who will vote significantly. Indeed, reduced participation in the elections will not reflect fairness and freedom in elections. Besides, people have crossed states and counties in search of safety. It will impact the results of elections, especially where key states have significant populations freeing for safety. As the pandemic extends, Trump’s response will determine his re-election. However, thus far, the president has received so much criticism for exposing the nation to a fatal pandemic, and therefore re-election chances are still not clear.