This book explains how a frenzy of misbehavior and misjudgment threatens the American polity.
Donald Trump is the center of the storm. His words, deeds and basic instincts are fundamentally at odds with Americaâs long-held essential ideals. But Trump isnât the only problem. Many of his friends, and plenty of his foes, also consistently violate important norms and traditions while seeking short-term political victories. This bipartisan race to the bottom is a stress test of the worldâs preeminent constitutional democracy.
It continues today.
This book explains how a frenzy of misbehavior and misjudgment threatens the American polity.
Donald Trump is the center of the storm. His words, deeds and basic instincts are fundamentally at odds with Americaâs long-held essential ideals. But Trump isnât the only problem. Many of his friends, and plenty of his foes, also consistently violate important norms and traditions while seeking short-term political victories. This bipartisan race to the bottom is a stress test of the worldâs preeminent constitutional democracy.
It continues today.
This book explains how a frenzy of misbehavior and misjudgment threatens the American polity.
Donald Trump is the center of the storm. His words, deeds and basic instincts are fundamentally at odds with Americaâs long-held essential ideals. But Trump isnât the only problem. Many of his friends, and plenty of his foes, also consistently violate important norms and traditions while seeking short-term political victories. This bipartisan race to the bottom is a stress test of the worldâs preeminent constitutional democracy.
It continues today.
Trump-era politics test four essential (and overlapping) principles of American democracy. The first is fidelity to the Constitution of the United States. Throughout American history government officials have broadly respected, honored, and followed the Constitution. Yet Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, neither understands nor respects the Constitution. He has called the document âa foreign language,â disparaged the Emoluments Clause as âthe phony Emoluments Clause,â and claimed that âI have an Article 2 where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.â Many in Trumpâs Republican party have encouraged and supported Trumpâs anti-constitutional behavior. And many Democrats, too, have cast aside long-held constitutional traditions in their frenetic effort to oppose Trump.Â
The second essential principle of American democracy tested during the Trump era is respect for the rule of law. The law must be applied evenly to all people. Always. Since Trumpâs ascendancy in 2015, however, oneâs political affiliation has often mattered more than the underlying facts relating to oneâs guilt or innocence. Trump has been the worst offender of all, consistently calling for prosecutions of his political opponentsâincluding Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. But both sides of the aisle have criminalized American politics. Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for example, said about Trump in June of 2019: âI donât want to see him impeached. I want to see him in prison.â In a healthy democracy politicians focus their attention on the ballot boxânot the jailhouse. And Americaâs descent towards the criminalized politics of failed states is a disturbing symptom of the nationâs broader affliction.Â
The third essential principle of American democracy tested during this time is the commitment to rational government. American democracy has lasted for centuries not simply because of the words in the Constitution. It has succeeded because of a national ethos firmly rooted in rationality, as embodied by Americaâs founders. While there have certainly been exceptions, reason and prudence have long shaped American public policy.Â
With Trump atop the Republican party, however, American politics have descended into a whirlpool of lies, false narratives and abhorrent stupidities. This irrationality has enveloped not just the populous but elected officials across the political aisle. The insanity of the fringe has risen to and infected the highest levels of American government. Â
The result has been a steady procession of public policy failures. The most shocking failure was the election of a constitutionally illiterate reality-television personality as president. But Trumpâs presidency is only one example of a broader problem. America has nearly defaulted on its debts; millions of Americans have opposed simple health measures to fight the coronavirus; tens of thousands have died annually from drug overdoses; the federal deficit has exploded while basic infrastructure has gone into disrepair; state legislatures have fixated on distorting and limiting the franchise; economic inequality has increased exponentially; and the existential threat to the environment has gone largely unaddressed.Â
A rational polity would not let any, let alone all, of these sweeping policy failures occur.Â
Finally, perhaps the most important principle of American government challenged since Trump took office is the very notion that government officials are chosen by the people in free and fair elections. This premise of democracy has defined America from its outset. Yet Donald Trump and many of his Republican allies have attacked it, openly and unapologetically. Trumpâs behavior leading up to, during, and after the 2020 presidential electionâpromulgating the âBig Lieâ that he, not Joe Biden, actually won the electionâis the most destructive behavior of any president (or former president) in American history. Even after Trumpâs supportersâ shocking riot at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, the âBig Lieâ continues on as the central Republican platform heading into the 2022 congressional elections. Throughout the country Republicans in state office are reengineering their election systems so their future attempts to thwart votersâ intentions are more likely to succeed.
These violations of American democracyâs core principles are stunning. Yet, at the same time, many Americans have acted admirably in the Trump age. The Judiciary, for example, has largely remained a rational branch of government. Its wholesale rejection of Trumpâs post-election litigation claims was both expected and reassuring. Governmental officials on both sides of the aisle, moreover, continue to uniformly respect and follow court orders. Moderate senators with responsible objectives continue to exert important influence in both political parties. And, ultimately, there was a timely transfer of power after Joe Bidenâs inauguration in January 2021: Trump went home when his term ended.
Battered and bruised, American democracy withstood the Trump presidency. Â
Like all stress tests, the American stress test revealed its subjectâs strengths and its weaknesses. American democracy has proven to be both sturdy and vulnerable. The key to the future is the same overriding variable that has shaped the past: Donald Trump. The longer he dominates the Republican party the more likely America ultimately fails the stress test and descends into a lesser form of government.Â
In Stress Test: How Donald Trump Threatens American Democracy, Will Cooper explains how "Donald Trump-era politics test four essential (and overlapping) principles of American democracy."
The book by William Cooper, an attorney and columnist, is a collection of articles from the time "after the Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives" to the beginning of 2022. The chosen time frame shows the unprecedented attack on the sacrificial pillars that previous presidents had never challenged. These are fidelity to the Constitution, respect for the rule of law, commitment to rational government, and the general fairness of the election. After Trump's promises to use the military against his opponents, "we can now add [...] the state's monopoly on the use of force. " Â
The book is a relatively independent exploration of the Trump-era political (the role of DOJ, the independence of prosecutors, and the balance between different branches of power) as well as social issues (prison system, the oppression of minorities). It is also helpful in identifying the common ground and building a compromise between the now-raptured parties. The author doesn't exclusively favor Republicans or Democrats. He reasons that both parties should abandon the win-zero mentality to withstand the current stress test and appear stronger on the other side. Â
As the single articles were to be consumed immediately - and attract the attention of the readers, of course - the author couldn't avoid the generalization, a technique the author himself condemned. It's the most explicit in the article about common Google searches, yet several other works also stop short of providing the concrete steps in dealing with the crises.  On the other hand, some author's recommendations appear to be long-termed and require the coordinated work of many institutions besides the president.Â
I recommend the book to both sides of the political spectrum. Though some advice William Cooper provides in Stress Test doesn't go beyond the general level, it's an excellent starting point for discussing vital details.Â