If President Trump is declared the winner of the 2020 election, how will this affect Democracy as a preferred form of government in the world?
As we all know, when America was founded it was the first time a country had attempted to use democracy as a form of government in two thousand year. It was an experiment that many thought would fail. Instead, the Founders and the early American citizens made it work. The truest test came at the end of the third presidential administration when Adams, a Federalist like Washington before him, ran for reelection, was defeated by Jefferson, and there was a peaceful transfer of power. Since then, with America as its model and promoter, democracy has become the predominant form of government for well over half (57%) of the countries in the world. This is an accomplishment that most Americans have pointed to in making a case for what a great country we are. Many of the foreign wars in which Americans have fought and died have been to overthrow autocrats and protect or implement freedom and democracy.
President Trump, and many of his supporters, believe or at least hope that he can get himself declared winner of the 2020 election. According to BBC News, his main strategy seems to be to convince Republican-controlled legislatures in states Biden narrowly won to dismiss the results of the popular vote as corrupted by widespread fraud and then have the legislature award their state’s Electoral College votes, which are cast by “electors” on 14 December, to Trump instead of Biden.
So, let us assume that President Trump is successful in doing this. My question is, “how will this affect democracy as being the preferred form of government in the world?”
Point. I am going to make the point that such an outcome would be very damaging to democracy and would result in more autocracies in the world, and further, that this would be a very bad thing.
Counterpoint. I am looking to supporters of President Trump who are hoping that he is successful in retaining power to make the case that such an outcome would either not diminish democracy around the world, or even if it did, the good that would come from having President Trump serve another term would be worth it.
Point 1: If President Trump is declared winner of the 2020 election, this would be very damaging to democracy, it would result in more autocracies in the world and be the end of the era of America being the leader of “the Free World”.
As noted in the overview, during the past two and half centuries, democracy went from being a one in two millennia experiment to the predominant form of government in the world. It has done so due the example and the impetus of the United States of America.
After two devastating world-wide wars in the first half of the 20th century, the planet has enjoyed 75 years of no direct conflict between world powers. This has been primarily due to America accepting the leadership of the “free world”. One of the most important things we did was help our two main adversaries in WWII – Japan and Germany – rebuild their nations and do so by establishing fully functioning democratic forms of government. We were instrumental in forming NATO to serve as a counterbalance to the Soviet Union not just militarily, but also philosophically. The Greatest Generation believed that what made America great was our democratic form of government. Before we would allow a nation to join in the NATO alliance with us, we required that they have a functioning democratic political system. We served as both the leader and the role model of the free world and in the process became the richest, freest, and most powerful nation in the history of the world.
What is it that is so great about democracy? It is actually a very inefficient form of government. When administrations change especially with a change of party, there are usually major changes in priorities. As we have seen, nearly everything that Obama accomplished while president – Paris Accords, JCPOA, Trans Pacific Partnership, expansion of health care, strengthening of alliances, and reduction of the deficit President Trump destroyed or significantly undermined. We have just completed an eternally long and outrageously expensive election process ($14 Billion) that has exhausted us all emotionally and fractured our social fabric. And, if Biden becomes the next president, he will set about to undo much of what Trump has done.
Meanwhile, our two main adversaries – Russia and China don’t have such political divisiveness and complete course reversals every few years. They have single party systems (China actually and Russia effectively) and are ruled by a single autocrat for life. (China actually and Russia effectively.) This enables them to set long range goals and consistently work toward them such as China’s “Belt and Road Initiative.” They don’t have nearly the amount of civil unrest in their streets that America experiences. Given the choice between efficient single party autocracies and dysfunctional, gridlocked, acrimonious and wasteful democracy, why ever choose democracy?
There is only one reason. If the people who are being governed are dissatisfied with their leader, they can replace him or her, and this is regardless of how desperately the incumbent may want to stay in power. And if the people can’t do that due to some manipulation and arcane legal maneuvering by the incumbent and his/her party, then it is no longer a form of government worth defending or emulating. If it turns out that this is the case for the paragon of democracy on the planet, then why would people in any country believe that they could sustain messy democracy over government by “the strongman”? There would be no reason for them to hope that they could.
If President Trump is able to stay in power “legally”, it will be because the Supreme Court rules that he is entitled to do so. It will be a Supreme Court where he has appointed 3 justices who many believe are beholden to him. This will be after the secretaries of state of all the states have stated that their elections were free and fairly held and that the challenger received over 6 million more votes than the incumbent. Further, that the two people who were primarily tasked with ensuring that the US election was not rigged: Chris Krebbs, the Director of CISA and Benjamin Hoveland Chairman of the Election Assistance Commission, both appointed by the incumbent have jointly stated that “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.” For making this statement, Krebbs was fired by the incumbent.
Nearly every established news agency in the world has viewed the election results and declared that Joe Biden won. This includes President Trump’s closest ally in the media, Fox News.
What I am asking those of you who are fervently hoping that President Trump and the RNC can find a way to gin up “evidence” and manipulate the rules such that President Trump is declared the winner, to seriously consider what impact this will have on the future of democracy both here in America and around the world.
Should Trump be declared winner, virtually no one on the planet, other than Trump supporters, will believe that the election was fairly won – regardless of what “facts” may be presented hereafter. So the Great United States of America will be seen as no different and no better than any other nation where the strongman uses the power of his office to manipulate the system and retain power – regardless of the will of the people.
Is the potential gain of having Donald Trump remain in power really worth ending the era when the United States of America was the model of democracy and “Leader of the free world”?
And if it’s not, please contact your Republican representatives in Congress and ask them to end this farce by telling President Trump to get on with the transition and a smooth transfer of power.
Counterpoint 1:
by Valerie Jackson Gastinel.
As I have discussed with my international ESL students…our Founding Fathers provided for this time post-election, before electoral votes are cast, for “we the people” to voice concerns, for candidates to appeal, to examine the process, to contest; this bespeaks of the beauty of the checks and balances provided in the Constitution. It shouts of the strengths of the democratic voting process; not the inverse. It does not undermine the process; may test it and hopefully refine it.
Most of my ESL students come from countries where there is no recourse, no opportunity to question the results of an election, to contest; they have no voice. We do, and I for one, among millions of patriots, value our democratic process and the time post casting of our ballots to insure that constitutional processes were followed and legal ballots counted, It is a good and legal process that we should rally to, not demonize. We have never in the history of our nation had an election like this one, where hundreds of thousands of ballots were sent out without requests, harvesting of ballots, rules changed several days before the election, counts shut down in numerous states in the wee hours, extended days of counting, denial to poll watch, lack of transparency, signatures not validated, ID’s not required, etc. There have been too many glaring irregularities to not take pause, & give time for recounts, and full audits.The MSM has declared Biden the president-elect prematurely and not within their power to pronounce, which is irresponsible, & manipulative.
The demonization of candidates, & their challenges is the assault on our democracy. I think the world is watching to see if we are indeed a true Republic, dedicated to a fair and just election, courageous & strong enough to allow for, to demand a completely transparent audit of contested processes and results, and unrelenting in our commitment to transparency and justice.
Counterpoint 2: The election process has become filled with manipulation.
The problem we have is the election process has become filled with manipulation and filled with problems that unscrupulous people manipulate when necessary.
This has been happening for years and years. It has moved from manual manipulation to electronic or a combo of both.
First saw it with labdrieu vs Jenkins in the 90’s and it looked well oiled then and it happens whenever it is deemed necessary.
This has to stop it dilutes our votes.
I have said that trump is not the right person because he is hated by the news media so much but it has to stop and trump seems to be the only one trying it’s really crazy because he is sacrificing his credibility to attack it.
If he wins without the support of the press what difference is it compared to his last four years seems the same.
Point 2: A local election commissioner’s perspective on the election process being manipulated.
Bill Pitre, that is an insult to the people that work Election Day. Are you working the polls? Do you get up at 4:00 am in order to be at the polls by 5:00 am in order to set up the machines & have everything ready by 6:00 am for the first voter? Are you down on your knees laying tape to keep people 6 ft apart. Are you on your phone looking up what Ward & Precinct the voter is supposed to be because they don’t know. Are you taking your life in your hand telling the candidate they can’t hand out fliers outside the door or the college student they can’t wear the candidates tshirt or hat. Are you spending the next 14 hours making sure everyone gets to opportunity to vote or explaining why they need to go to their own parish to vote in order for their vote to count. Are you wearing gloves & masks, wiping down the pens & surfaces to help protect everyone’s health. Are you closing the polls at 8:00 pm. Running 4 copies of the results, making sure a copy is in the correct packet & spending another hour delivering the packets & results to the clerk of court. If you’re unfortunate enough to live in an area where the streets are blocked off because the ball game got out & you can’t get home til 11:30 pm. Before you accuse others of manipulation, spend a day in the shoes of a commissioner. Believe me, we don’t do it for the money. We do it to make sure everyone has the freedom & opportunity to vote.
Counterpoint 3: I don’t care about the rest of the world.
The rest of the world might believe truthful elections are important, but most important, who gives a s..t about the rest of the world? Are we to become thing, or is it ok in your world to remain the best in freedom and liberty. Just wondering. It is as if you have forgotten that oath we took, just saying.