Depth of political rift reflects faltering republic, but we can save it

Donald Trump’s election as the 45th President of the United States was expected by few and a shock to many.

In diagnosing the election, many analysts and pundits have focused on the mechanics and processes of the election: Did Hillary Clinton campaign in the right places? Was Russia successful in influencing the outcome of the election? Why didn’t the polling accurately reflect the ultimate outcome of the election? 

Now, many are myopically focused on the scandals and associated investigations of the Trump campaign. Others are just now beginning to fully analyze the “Trump voter”. 

{mosads}All of this is necessary, but ultimately insufficient because it does not address the more alarming feature of this political moment — the growing questions within the American body politic about our political system and the republic itself.

What does the 2016 election say about the disharmony in our society and the future of our country? What do successive, perceived “illegitimate presidents” — George W. Bush, Barack Obama and, now, Trump — reveal about the American people’s confidence in our political system and the future of our republic? Can our republic endure the disharmony, antipathy, anger, resentment and hate that remains unaddressed? 

As Ben Franklin warned, it’s “a republic, if you can keep it.” We can keep our republic but not on the trajectory that we are currently on. We must first bear witness to the reality of our situation as a country.

Clearly, there is something terribly wrong within the American body politic. Our political dialogue has moved from questioning the effectiveness, efficiency and policy of government to, now, questioning the fundamental, bedrock philosophy and values of the American political tradition and the Constitution itself.

This building antipathy toward our political system is beginning to manifest itself via intolerance and creeping authoritarianism in our political life. We see those on the left questioning the merits of free speech. We see those on the right valuing the control of society that leaders like Putin embrace. This isn’t just the beginning of a wholesale breakdown of the political philosophy that underpins the American political tradition; it is reflective of a failing republic.

It is within this context that outside revisionist powers, like Russia, are actively amplifying our divisions to break down our political culture, values and the system itself. Our internal divisions are now our greatest strategic vulnerability. We are now witnessing a toxic stew of majoritarianism, illiberalism and authoritarianism manifest within our political life and culture. When they mix, it will kill liberalism, individual liberty and critical democratic institutions and processes. 

America is an idea. When the American people no longer believe in the system or the values and philosophy that underpin it, the United States will cease to exist as we know it. For our republic to endure and for America to continue as a world leader, we need strong, democratic institutions down to the “main street” level — institutions that serve the local interests, but also connect to larger, reformed institutions in society. 

Furthermore, in the 21st century, we need to find new and creative ways to connect the global and the local. This could be known as the “glo-calization” of our society. To build consensus around this “glo-calization” approach, one must begin with our politics. We cannot continue with the current manifestations of our two political parties. 

The Democrats remain unimaginatively tied to a government-centric approach for every problem, which we know is too one-dimensional for the complexity of the 21st-century problems. Republicans are so ideological and hostile to government that one has to disregard reality and facts to wholly agree with their worldview.

We need a new political movement — one that recognizes and fully embraces our federalist, republican system and is focused on increasing connections between the big and small actors in our society to rebuild the foundation of our country and renew the sacred social contract between the people. 

Our republican values have never been needed more given the complexities of the 21st century. 

Alex Gallo served as a professional staff member on the House Armed Services Committee for five years. He is a West Point graduate, a combat veteran and a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School. His work has been published by The Washington Post, National Review and Foreign Affairs. Follow him on Twitter @AlexGalloUSA and through www.newrepublicanism.com.

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