Category: Donald Trump

Donald Trump as a Successful Business Leader

According to the latest Forbes’ world ranking of billionaires, Trump has an estimated fortune of $3.1 billion, mostly earned on the back of property, making him the 766th richest person in the world. He also had a successful carrier in the reality TV, the show is called ‘The Apprentice’, and he surprised the world when he won the U.S. presidential election in 2016. When we think about it, Trump is the only man having such a specific and successful carrier. Of course, he had the advantage of being born into a wealthy American family a precious help for his life achievements. Trump is an authentic leader, he means what he says, and he will say, what he means, even if it is completely unacceptable for the people who are listening. He is one of the few politicians who is so authentic in an inauthentic world. Companies spend a lot of money for advertising, marketing to be on the spotlight and individuals use social media to impress the world with their incredible and nice-looking life. And we all know how difficult it is to get authentic answer out of (most) politicians. In fact, before the presidential election, he said that we need someone like him to take the lead of the country because his carrier is successful, “the kind of thinking we need for this country”. But when he goes on Twitter with his account @realDonaldTrump, he doesn’t hold back in any way. He lets us know exactly what he thinks about information, that makes polemic, whether we like it or not. Think about it, the most powerful person in the world sharing his thoughts directly with the world with no shame and no scare of the consequence it could have on the political world. Trump also signed more executive orders in his first 100 days, than any president since World War II. Since the beginning of his incredible career, Trump showed incredible business skills.

Following his father into the important estate development business, Donald joined the family firm, Elizabeth Trump & Son, and he graduated from Wharton college of Business in 1968.

He immediately began to make important decisions, guided by firm goals. Managing a company like that is something that only the true entrepreneurs can do. As an example, he makes his father to be more adventurous when he borrows his money in order to finance expansions of the Trump business. In 1971, he became the chief of the family business which he renamed ‘The Trump Organization’. What’s make Donald trump a successful businessman is the fact that his mind is set, he knows what he wants to do and he apply it with confidence Donald Trump is not a simple worker, he has the passion of leading and he got the skills to be one of the best at doing it, he quoted: “You have to think anyway, so why not think big”.

And because of his passion, he invests into a lot different activities like hotels, housing, leisure complexes, casinos, football or even board game! In order to develop such a diverse portfolio and operate in a large number of business areas, Trump has had to use considerable leadership qualities like the capacity to choose who to trust or not, to delegate decisive tasks and the most important, to inspire people and making decisions with confidence even if the business gets hard to deal with.

Actually, he is one among the foremost noted individuals on the world.

With all his qualities and achievements, it make him, for sure someone with a lot to tell to every future leaders and entrepreneurs.

Trump’s Tax Cut Analysis

At the end of 2017, President Trump signed into law one of the largest tax code overhauls since the 1980s. The President assured taxpayers that this bill included a simpler and more reformed tax code, protection for lower- and middle-income Americans and cuts for corporations that would in theory spur investment and economic growth. Once implemented, however, this bill disproportionately benefited higher earners, created loopholes for profitable corporations, increased the federal deficit and did not deliver the high economic growth it promised, rather staying in line with previous economic projections.

On December 22nd, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was signed into law. Republican lawmakers hailed this bill, steadfastly arguing supply-side economics assure that this would be a tax code that would spur investment and economic growth (Floyd). Yet, supply-side economics is a theory that does not have solid backing with economists. Despite this backing, it is still consistently used as support for major tax cuts. This theory suggests that tax cuts have a multiplicative effect that will eventually create enough revenue to pay for the loss of federal income. A multiplier is something that once changed will create more changes in other economic factors. In this context, this means that it was expected that cutting taxes would increase all American’s after-tax income (Hayes). With this income, they would spend more, corporations would increase investments, spurring economic growth and eventually creating enough revenue to somehow make up for the cut to federal income. However, this is only effective if tax rates are high enough that they can be considered ‘prohibitive’. Essentially, unless tax rates are reaching heights of 90-100%, cutting them will not have the multiplicative effect suggested by supply-side theory (Amadeo). The justification for the tax cuts of 2017 is therefore inherently flawed because before the tax cuts, rates were not in this range.

Moreover, this bill was advertised as protection for lower income and middle-class Americans. In practice, the TCJA created permanent tax cuts for corporations, while only temporarily reducing individual rates (Floyd). The TCJA created a flat tax rate of 21% for corporations while also getting rid of the individual mandate for health coverage enacted during the Obama administration. As a whole, tax cuts for corporations benefit shareholders, who tend to be of a higher income level. Additionally, the removal of the individual mandate will end up decreasing the federal deficit by an estimated $338 billion, but leave about 13 million Americans uninsured and increase insurance premiums overall.

In terms of individual rates, the Tax Policy Center released a report that states 80.4% of households can expect to see an increase in after tax income. However, this increase is distributed unevenly. While 93.7% of taxpayers in the highest earning bracket will see these benefits, only 53.9% of those in the lowest bracket will have an increase in after tax income (Floyd). All of these factors illustrate that the tax cuts will disproportionately benefit higher earners, while leaving behind lower- and middle-income households. In fact, this past year was the first time that the “400 wealthiest Americans actually paid lower total tax rate than any other income group combined” (Leonhardt). Furthermore, this tax bill worsens the growing income inequality in the United States. As demonstrated in the graphs, the top income groups have begun to pay less and less in total taxes since 1950. The consequences of these choices are that the United States is moving towards a regressive tax system in which taxes are applied at the same level regardless of income, and effectively taking more from low-income earners than from high income earners (Kagan). It is evident that the architects of this bill did not write the law with the intent of alleviating middle- and lower-income tax burdens.

Furthermore, one of the main goals, or at least advertisements, of the TCJA was the idea that it would reform and simplify the tax code. In practice, however, this bill ended up creating more loopholes for large corporations. In a study done by the CRS, it was found that the statutory tax rate dropped by 40% while the effective tax rate dropped by 48%, which indicates that the law actually gave corporations opportunities to argue their way out of taxation, showing more corruption rather than reform (Gardner).

In terms of the macroeconomic effects of the TCJA, this bill radically increased the deficit on a static basis, stayed in the predicted ranges of GDP growth rates prior to enactment, did not increase wages at the same rate as the GDP, and kept investment rates stagnant. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that the TCJA will add an estimated $230 to the federal debt this year and $1.9 trillion in the coming decade. While lawmakers had argued that this bill would ‘pay for itself’, the Congressional Research Service found that so far it has only paid for about 5% of its total costs. The Congressional Research Service also found that the economy grew by 2.9 percent the year after the law was put into effect. However, this was the projection made by the Congressional Budget Office long before the bill was passed, indicating that this bill did not surpass Congress’s expectations for the economy before taxes had been reduced. Additionally, wages grew less than the GDP. More importantly, wages grew at an even slower rate for workers in production and non-supervisory positions, indicating that the tax cuts disproportionately benefited higher earners. Finally, it is believed that the tax cuts initially boosted investments by about .75%. However, monetary policy was tightened and therefore could have reduced investment rates by about 25%. Trade wars with China also decreased investment rates by an estimated 25% (Furman). All of these effects roughly cancel each other out, showing no long-term changes to investment rates that the bill had originally been passed to stimulate.

Overall, the TCJA was less successful than its biggest supporters had projected it to be. This bill was marketed as a victory for lower- and middle-income Americans, when in reality they for the most part benefits corporations and higher income households. Additionally, the ‘reform’ that it was supposed to be ended up creating even more loopholes for corporations to pay less in taxes. And, the idea that these tax cuts would ‘pay for themselves’ has not yet held true, with only 5% of costs being covered, increasing the deficit now and over the next decade. Throughout the past 50 years, the United States tax system has consistently become less progressive, with higher earners often paying a lower rate than their middle- and lower-income counterparts, and the TCJA is no departure from this trend.

Leadership Of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: Comparative Analysis

The focus of this study is to understand the influence of leaders in decision-making of foreign policy and the subsequent impact of the choices thatthey make at the international level.

In todays time, it has become mandatory to know what is going around the world, the relationships of different countries, their politics.

The two countries that I have chosen are leading the world in many aspects. Now to talk about them, it can be done by comparing the leaderships of their respected Presidents.

Description of various consequential events in our history reside in the actions and policies of all the political leaders across the globe which necessitates the examination of their thoughts, their respected personality, their emotions, their perceptions and decision-making processes of all of them. Hardly anyone would ever mention the events of World War II without mentioning Hitler, Soviet policy in the 30s and 40s without Stalin, abolition of the apartheid system without Nelson Mandela, foreign policy of China without Mao and also the foreign policy of Russia without Vladimir Putin.

In addition to the historical and ideological strengths of leaders, practical facts and physical strength also make leaders and their role important. For example, in the post-Cold War period, there was much ambiguity about the nature of the geography, which led to many interpretations, misinterpretations and misunderstandings. In such a climate of uncertainty, decision-makers can exert tremendous influence on policies. Global barriers to foreign policy are becoming increasingly complex, which is why there is an opportunity for individual leaders to stand up. Further, attention is diverted to individual leaders who not only have an impact within their country but also have an influence beyond the borders of the country they lead. In the past, such discussions have been curtailed by academics who have suggested that they focus on global problems that limit their ability to hold leaders. In their view, the needs of the system of chaos and interdependence are so clear that leaders are left with a limited list of foreign policy strategies. However, the ambiguity of the world that is post the cold war and the ambiguity that exists in today’s world close to a multi political world with the emergence of regional and non-state actors, allow individuals to control global affairs.

Donald Trump who was once considered a long shot, the 74-year-old is now president of the United States, almost four years old. Knowing that he would run in the 2016 election was not only based on his controversial platform over the migration and outrage of campaign style but from his past celebrities. The businessman, however, had one last laugh when he disregarded all the predictions of beating up senior politicians in the Republican primary race. Mr Trump has expressed interest in running for president since 1987, and has even entered the 2000 race as a candidate for the Reform Party. After 2008, he became one of the most talked about members of the ‘breeding’ movement, which doubted whether Barack Obama was born in the US. Those claims are completely dismissed; Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii. Mr. Trump finally admitted that there was no truth in these claims even though, apparently, there was no apology. It was not until June 2015 that Mr. Trump officially announced his entry into the White House competition. ‘We need someone to take over this country and make it bigger again. We can do that,’ he said in a statement, promising that as a candidate, he did not respond to anything special and was a very forward-looking person to be drafted. Trump’s work can be divided into three categories. The first one, which ran from the early 1970s to the mid / late 1980s was like a real estate agent, with a strong focus on New York and Atlantic City. The second was in the late 1980’s. After the financial crisis, the banks turned against Trump, and his control of his business was greatly curtailed by the influence of financial institutions. Then, for the third time, from the late 1990s onwards, Trump’s fortunes were transformed by his appearance as a real TV celebrity and Trump product brand. We say that Trump supported his business ‘success’ in the pursuit of profits, tax payments, savings, deportation and risk transfer, often recognizing the importance of the economic downturn, and holding a zero-sum view or a negative view of economic transactions. The upbuilding experience of Trump’s business venture was in New York in the late 1970’s. During the Great Recession (Thabb, 1982) and in the interest of the city’s renewal, the city was ready to offer tax deals and services, which Trump exploited. The first major project at the time was the rebuilding of the now defunct Comodore Hotel, which is owned by the Penn Central Railroad. To make this happen Donald Trump needed tax breaks, money and a management company to manage the hotel. This was a brief of past of Donald Trump.

Wodak (2015) (Mollan)In an interview with The New York Times in 2017, Bannon said everything President Trump does is all about moving forward or stopping any potential problem’. Bannon’s importance and his desire to restore what he considered to be American traditional values go hand in hand with those people in the United States Wodak explains that they may have embraced the right-wing populism of the so-called modern ‘loss’. So, while Bannon and others are considering a crisis based on long-term historical tendencies, political ideologies, and a certain sense of American destiny (all of which have been used in detail by Trump’s campaign to raise funds), there has also been a real “ rusty ” American ‘heart’ problem. in the middle, where these stories have a clear voice. While Clinton did better than Trump among low-income voters, Trump won in the poorest parts of the country. Central to this are the ways in which economic development, globalization, and market changes in co-operatives have resulted in significant socio-economic decline. Mark Blyth’s paper on ‘Global Trumpism’ makes the point that neo-liberal changes from the late 1970s onwards led to a decline in real wages and an increase in personal and family debt. In this context, the gatekeepers of neo-liberalism (the group of Davos and established Republicans and Democrats) are the beneficiaries of a regime based on anti-inflation policies that have systematically destroyed large sections of American society. As Blyth states that debtors cannot afford to pay but politically, and this is important to empower debtors because they cannot pay, cannot pay, and have the right to vote’. As Trump said ‘I am the master of debt. I love debt ‘, in terms of revisiting loan terms, and the common hair taken by lenders where he was concerned. This strenuous effort by an inhuman source, or cause, of widespread economic hardship based on Trump’s business experience is another reason why Trump appeals to those who have endured such hardships in turn, to stand up and attack impersonal forces and cause individual suffering.

Now coming to Putin. It is a largely believed belief that all the political leaders who enjoy strong local authority also have a free hand in international affairs. In other words, the idea that strong, radical and independent political cultures often give birth to many leaders. This is by no means to say that democracy does not produce prominent leaders. It only shows that democratic leaders cannot use individual power freely as leaders in power because their political traditions empower institutions and not the people. This may also contribute to their power to influence the actions of the state differently. So based on the above arguments, it can be said that leaders can only come out strong in the international arena and prove strong if they have a positive and appropriate domestic background. In order to understand Putin’s influence on international politics, it is important to consider him as the main driver of Russia’s foreign policy. In order to do so it is required to study the domestic context and procedures for making foreign policy in Russia.

The decision-making environment is the most important aspect of policy making and is characterized by the identity of those responsible for doing so. In Russia, this includes President Putin, but also other figures, namely Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Sergei Ivanov, Russian state oil company chief Rosneft Igor Sechin, and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. (Mollan) Putin is in the middle of this decision-making position and is considered the highest decision-making authority. Some members have limited influence as they are in Putin’s lower position and because they are all entrusted with subordinate domains and agendas. Despite the opposition, Russia’s political culture is seen as one that favors strong, independent rule. Russia’s history is marked by political power figures. Independent governmental styles have been commonplace in the Russian government since the Tsars’ ironclad capture until the Politburo-based Communist law. Russia’s separation from democracy is a recent phenomenon and continues to advance in modern and democratic government. In the current context, even if the various political parties and political leaders at the national level do not agree with Russia’s policies, especially in the field of foreign policy, ultimately in the hands of Executive-Putin. He has created what his advisers call a ‘controlled democracy’ that provide not only the likeness of popular democracy but also where the opposition parties are neutral and the Russians have lost the ability to vote in direct elections. (Mollan)

Vladimir Putin’s impact in the face of foreign affairs is most evident in his actions in Ukraine and Syria. Finally, he became a game changer by filling the void left by the US, which called for the world to be no longer a regional power. Russia’s September 2015 military intervention in the name of the Assad regime has made him a central military figure in the Syrian war. America only works collaboratively and does not participate collaboratively. This gives Russia a free hand in the Syrian crisis and how it is constructed. Putin’s policy in Crimea marks the beginning of a multipolar country. Forbes appointed him as the 55th most powerful leader in the world and could serve as a perfect example of a leader who successfully influenced and shaped international politics.

There is a criticism of Donald Trump and the idea which is called as Trump-ism for drawing ideas from critical management / organizational disciplines and related sectors such as business history and leadership studies. It is impossible to understand the American political situation of the day without thinking deeply about Trump’s business career, his leadership style, how he is marketed in American society and how his business style informs the successive political agenda his executives follow. We want to show how American politics is shaped by Trump’s approach to business and leadership on the issue of American descent combined with a public debate urging voters who feel left behind – even if the truth is, in some cases, rather different. In all of Trump’s political projects there is resonance, as well as the emphasis on discourse, on decay and decay, the imminent problem, and the zero-sum (or negative-sum) understanding of economic and social problems. Preservation ideas so far alongside major U.S. copyright law have been approved – in large part by Trump’s ‘business’ celebrities. They are used to justify Trump’s brutal and selfish business and political approach (zero / negative-sum, good credit fraud, risk exchange and refusal to allow defeat), and as a great motivator and in many cases hamper political change. The elements of Trump’s business ownership that are not thought to deter voters are the very features that entice them. Wrapped up with the phrase ‘Making America Great Again’, Trump promises ethno-nationalist economic transformation (Edwards, 2009) to those who feel in a state of decline. We argued that the root of President Trump’s appeal as a candidate for the 2016 presidential election (and his continued support within his political base) were his applications for business intelligence, his position as an outsider, his ability to disrupt established institutions and his contemporary American analysis. Most important here is that Trump provides and represents the broader view that America is unorganized and mismanaged and that the solution or solution is Trump’s business leadership in the office.

Putin ordered the formation of a State Council working group to combat the spread of coronavirus. Putin has appointed Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin as party head. On March 22, 2020, after a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Putin arranged for the Russian army to send military doctors, special antiseptics, and other medical equipment to Italy, the European country most affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. On March 24, 2020, Putin visited a hospital in Kommunarka, Moscow, where patients with coronavirus were treated, where he spoke with doctors and doctors. [206] Vladimir Putin began working remotely in his office in Novo-Ogaryovo. According to Dmitry Peskov, Putin passes daily coronavirus tests, and his health is not in danger. On March 25, President Putin announced in a televised address to the nation that the April 22 constitutional referendum would be suspended due to coronavirus. He added that next week would be a nationally paid holiday and urged Russians to stay home. Putin also announced a list of social protection measures, support for small and medium enterprises, and changes in monetary policy. [212] Putin has announced the following measures for small, medium and micro enterprises: postponing tax payments (excluding Russian value added tax) over the next six months, halving the size of social security contributions, postponing social security contributions, postponing loan payments for the next six months, suspension six months of fines, debt collection, and creditors’ applications for liquidation. In addition, a new income tax from major deposits will be introduced in 2021, and industrial taxes will be increased. On 2 April, Putin re-issued an address in which he announced the extension of the unemployment term until April 30. Putin likened the Russian war to COVID-19 to the Russian wars that plagued Pecheneg and Cuman security in the 10th and 11th centuries. In Levada’s 24 to 27 April vote, 48% of Russian respondents said they did not agree with Putin’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic, and his separation from resilience and lack of leadership during a crisis was widely cited as a sign of the loss of powerful image.

Analyzing Donald Trump’s Impact on Ford Motor Company and the Global Economy

Trumps Tariffs and Ford Motor Company

There are many problems that we face as a nation. We are on the edge of a total U.S. economic meltdown. The significant problem that I have researched is the trade tariffs and Ford Motor Company not being able to make cars in the U.S. There are several problems here that will need to be addressed. There are also several possible solutions that could save the company money in the long run. Ford Motor Company will see if it is lucrative to continue building in China or find another low-wage country to continue production. If the tariffs and interest rates on steel continue to climb, they will have no choice. We need to take a strong look at the history and franchise of Ford Motor Company and how this affects our economy and nation as a whole. We also need to take a look at Donald Trump’s trade tariffs and what exactly the details include affecting many automakers. Several questions will arise, such as where these automakers will go to further production and what they will cost.

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. It was founded by Henry Ford; the company sells automobiles and other commercial vehicles under the Ford brand. As of today, Ford is the second largest U.S. automaker, right behind General Motors, and they are the fifth largest in the world. During the year 2008, Ford employed 213,000 employees and produced 5.32 million automobiles at around 90 plants around the world. According to USA Today’s Detroit Free Press staff, Donald Trump’s China tariffs will cost Ford 1 billion U.S. dollars.

Jim Hackett, who recently spoke with Bloomberg Television, said the company faces a huge loss in profits from the president’s tariffs. He is also quoted as saying, “The metals tariffs took about 1 billion in profit from the U.S- and the irony is we source most of that in the U.S today anyways,” “If it goes on longer, there will be more damage.” It is clear that Ford and other companies are not happy with the recently imposed tariffs. This will affect the company’s bottom line and potentially hurt profits across the board. There are many companies that rely on importing and exporting as a way of doing business. However, with this disruption in the way the U.S. does business with the rest of the world, it could be costly in the long run for companies worldwide.

Trump

Donald Trump is the 45th and current president of the United States of America. His socially awkward behavior and disruptive tariffs have caused quite a stir in the global market. Trump’s unorthodox strategy is the complete opposite of any other administration that has held office in the White House. It seems as though his main objective is opening up the Chinese market and preserving a U.S. advantage over China to demand dominance on the world stage. It could potentially be preserved that Trump’s strategy in threatening tariffs on Chinese imports is addressing his goal of reducing the U.S. trade deficit with China. He also wants to bring back manufacturing jobs to the U.S. It is seen that the U.S. trade deficit is domestic and not external.

The fact is that Americans consume more than they produce. This is the sole reason why we must rely on foreign countries because we consume so many products, and we don’t have the resources to replenish all that we consume. If we get into a trade war with foreign countries, it could potentially threaten our economy and directly impact many of our large corporations. We must take a look at how we have been successful as a country over the past decades and what we have done right in order to maintain stability. Trump seems to be more interested in making enemies and not seeing the bigger financial picture that has kept our nation running on all four cylinders. Trump will need to stop tweeting and making the wrong decisions based on personal feelings and not what is best for America.

It seems that Donald Trump has been targeting China specifically due to the fact he believes the U.S. has been treated unfairly and China has been profiting off the U.S. market. He has been on many news outlets displaying and verbally denouncing China; they have been using U.S. products and counterfeiting many of our goods. Due to the fact Trump’s administration believes China is one of the most notorious for sales of pirated and counterfeit goods, they are taking retaliatory action against China. According to the South China Morning Post, Gao Feng, commerce ministry spokesman, is quoted as saying, “We have to question the objectivity and credibility of the relevant US department in issuing its report.” “The Chinese government has always attached great importance to the protection of intellectual property, the results of which are obvious to all.”

Tariffs

We first must look at what a tariff is and how it affects countries on a global scale. Tariffs also affect our economy, given the employment or unemployment rates worldwide. A tariff is defined as a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports. This is also known as a duty or trade barrier. The main purpose of a tariff is to protect jobs and production for citizens. Tariffs are also put in place to ensure that a certain number of the specific product or good is limited to entering the country. According to Investor’s Business Daily, as of 2018, President Trump was the first ever president to wage war and use tariffs as a way to try and disrupt the flow of trade. He initially did this with the reasoning of trying to reduce the U.S. trade deficit of 566 billion. He also thought this would increase production and manufacturing jobs. President Donald Trump enforced 25% U.S. tariffs on 50 billion dollars worth of Chinese imports.

This outrageous tax caused China to retaliate and impose a tariff of its own. This is basically what started the slow decline of Ford Motor production, therefore leading Ford to manufacture cars on foreign soil. This could also lead to mass layoffs in the U.S. for Ford Motor Company employees. This plot by Donald Trump has not been a welcomed tax for many other companies, including corporate giant Walmart. The implementation of these tariffs will affect Walmart and other retailers in a negative way.

It will essentially result in a combination of higher prices and lower profits. The immediate effect on the customer is that they would pick up the tab if an increase is imposed. An example of this is if Walmart’s tariff was to increase by $6, they would pay $3, and the customer would pay the other half, essentially increasing the price of goods and costing the customer more to purchase products. This will directly affect the customer’s wallet, and Walmart’s profit will decline. Overall, Trump has imposed a total of 35% and 250 billion dollars’ worth of tariffs on Chinese goods.

References:

1. “Ford Go Further.” Ford Corporate. (2018). https://corporate.ford.com/articles/global-auto-shows/ford-china-collaboration.html
2. Staff, J. (2018). Ford Says Trump’s China Tariffs Could Cost Company $1B. Detroit Free Press. https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2018/09/07/ford-trump-china-tariffs-cost/1226175002/
3. Wang, J. (2018). How Trump’s Trade War Went From 18 Products to 10,000. Quartz. https://qz.com/1327460/its-official-the-us-china-trade-war-has-now-begun
4. Graham, B. (2018). Trump’s Tariffs: What They Are And How They Will Work. Investor’s Business Daily. https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/trumps-tariffs-what-they-are-how-they-work/
5. Graham, B. (2018). Trump’s Trade War Turns Walmart Strategy Upside Down. Investor’s Business Daily. https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/trumps-trade-war-turns-walmart-strategy-upside-down/
6. China questions credibility of US report on fake goods after Donald Trump’s ‘fine’ threat. (2018). South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2157490/china-questions-credibility-us-report-fake-goods-after

Evaluating Evolution: Donald Trump’s Impact on Democratic Institutions

Introduction to Evolution and Political Systems

Evolution is a term that is most popularly used to describe the gradual development of living organisms over time. Although the term is largely used in science, it can also be applied to many other aspects of the world that don’t necessarily have to do with living beings but that encompass change over time. Political systems are one area that the word evolution can apply to. Over the ages, humanity has tested many different forms of government. Some systems were overthrown, and others were modified to create the political systems that we have today.

After the American Revolution, a democratic system was chosen to be the governing force in the United States. The writers of the American Constitution created a framework for this democratic system but left little room for it to be altered as the need arises and as long as the improvements are within the boundaries of democracy. It appears that President Donald J. Trump believes the time has come to take advantage and tweak the constitution that the American forefathers worked hard to create. If done correctly, changes to the American democratic system can be a good thing; however, Donald Trump may be blurring the lines between democracy and autocracy.

Donald Trump’s Approach to Democracy and Autocracy

Democratic systems aren’t perfect. As President Donald Trump has proven, there is a possibility for authoritarian leaders to find a way to cheat the system and be elected to office. When this happens, it is important for the country to evaluate its existing democratic institutions to ensure that they are strong enough to withstand attack. Weak democratic institutions can bring about one of the greatest fears of the writers of the Constitution: the consolidation of power in the hands of a single person or a small group of people. The power can be used to effectively strip American citizens of freedoms promised to them by the Bill of Rights and destroy democracy.

On the other hand, strong democratic institutions make sure that the system of checks and balances described in the Constitution runs the way it is supposed to and that there is an equal spread of power. To create these strong institutions, political scientists Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky identified two characteristics that are necessary components in every democracy. They call these characteristics “unwritten rules”. The “unwritten rules” ensure that a democracy can survive an authoritarian leader and that the rights of American citizens will not be jeopardized.

The Role of Democratic Institutions in Safeguarding Democracy

​The “unwritten rules” are basic concepts, but they play a significant role in determining whether a democracy will live or die. The first of these rules is mutual toleration. Under mutual tolerance, political opponents must recognize and accept each other’s opinions even if they disagree. In most democracies, different political parties exist. In the United States, there are a number of political parties, but the two major parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they were vague in their wording, leaving the Constitution open for interpretation.

Members of the Democratic and Republican parties have different opinions about how the Constitution should be interpreted. According to Ziblatt and Levitsky’s first “unwritten rule,” the members of the Democratic and Republican parties must acknowledge each other’s interpretation of the Constitution even though it may differ from their own. Without mutual tolerance, political opponents may view each other as enemies of the United States rather than loyal citizens who also want the best for the country. Campaigns would turn into bloody battles, tearing the country apart. The divide would leave enough of an opening for a single person or small group of people to take over and implement radical changes.

​Having only one “unwritten rule” is not enough. Both work hand in hand and are necessary to ensure that democratic institutions cannot be influenced by undemocratic leaders. The Constitution allows each branch of the federal government specific powers. However, it also implements a system of checks and balances to make sure that one branch isn’t appropriating more power than it is supposed to. For example, under the Constitution, the president has the legal ability to nominate Supreme Court justices, but with checks and balances, Congress can decide to disapprove those nominations.

Furthermore, if the Supreme Court constantly rules against the president, as President Roosevelt displayed, the president can decide to nominate additional justices who share the same views as him to sway the balance in his favor. If political leaders exploit their power to the full legal capacity, nothing will really get done, and again, a bloody battle will ensue. In politics, candidates sometimes have to hold back from doing everything they are capable of doing for the greater good of the country. The way Ziblatt and Levitsky explain this in their book How Democracies Die is with the term ‘forbearance.’

Authoritarian Tendencies in Donald Trump’s Leadership

​Autocratic governments typically start out democratic, but due to their weak democratic institutions, leaders with authoritarian tendencies are elected, and they consolidate their power to the point where it is almost impossible for majority rule to be restored. A single person or small group of people holds most of the power, and there are little to no checks and balances. Unlike in democratic societies, where power stems from the citizens, in autocratic societies, power stems from authoritarian leaders. The leaders of these governments are above the law and, therefore, accountable to no one.

​President Donald J. Trump’s nomination shocked many American citizens as well as the majority of the world because of his authoritarian or undemocratic tendencies. A test was created by Juan J. Linz, a political scientist, to determine whether a political candidate is democratic or not. The criteria the test checks are whether the politician encourages violence denies the legitimacy of his opponents, rejects democratic rules, and limits the liberties of those who dare go against him. When analyzed, President Trump fits all these profiles.

​Before Donald Trump was even elected to office, his authoritarian tendencies were clear. His behavior was and still is erratic and impulsive. Starting with his accusations against the president who was in office at that time, it was obvious that Trump did not view anyone as a legitimate opponent. He repeatedly made claims that President Obama was not a citizen of the United States, which, if true, meant that Obama was legally unable to hold office. Trump didn’t stop with Obama. Anyone that stood in his path to the White House was bashed and discredited. Trump continuously accused Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic party, of being a criminal and vowed to prosecute her once he was elected. Trump, disregarding the First Amendment completely, has made it his mission to whip the media into line. Anything anti-Trump or that goes against the policies Trump is trying to create, he immediately brands as “fake news.”

With the term “fake news” spread all around, it is hard to differentiate what is true and what is really “fake news.” This attempt by Trump to curtail the media’s freedom of speech and press is undemocratic and very characteristic of an authoritarian regime. It seems that Trump believes the other elected members of the federal government are there for his personal service and financial gain, and anyone who believes otherwise should be fired. Furthermore, Trump has no problem flexing his executive power. He takes a strong stand on immigration that goes against the entire basis on which the United States was created. The United States is a nation of immigrants, but Trump seems to have forgotten that.

He created a travel ban, restricting immigration from several countries, and when the ban was taken to court because it was deemed unconstitutional, he just revised it, taking full advantage of the law. Trump is also attempting to rescind the citizenship of children born in the United States to illegal immigrants. This goes directly against the Citizenship Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment, which clearly states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Only an authoritarian leader would dare go toe to toe with the Constitution like Trump has.

​Democratic institutions must be reinforced if the United States would like to once again be a role model to the rest of the world. To do so, American citizens and politicians have to realize that everyone is entitled to have a voice. There is no such thing as “fake news.” The common goal of the people should be to expand democracy, not turn it into autocracy.

Bibliography

1. Freedland, Jonathan. ‘This Mafia Style Government Makes Trump a Role Model For All Autocrats.’ The Guardian (2018). web. November 2018.
2. Levitsky, Steven and Daniel Ziblatt. ‘How Wobbly is Our Democracy?’ New York Times (2018). web. October 2018.
   —. ‘Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy.’ The New York Times (2016). web. October 2018.
3. Sherwood, Susan. What Characterizes an Authoritarian Government? n.d. web. November 2018.
4. Sit, Ryan. Trump Meets Every Criteria for an Authoritarian Leader, Harvard Political Scientists Warn. 1 January 2018. web. November 2018.

Tom Buchanan and Donald Trump: A Parallel Analysis of Sexism, and Infidelity

Donald Trump and Tom Buchanan: A Comparison

Donald Trump, the forty-fifth President Of The United States, is a politician, businessman, and television personality. Those all are true facts about Donald Trump, but who is he in most of America’s eyes? Yes, he is the forty-fifth President Of The United States, but there is a lot more to him than that. He is arrogant, sexist, racist, and egotistical. On top of all of that, he has also cheated on each one of his wives. The list could go on and on. Tom Buchanan, a character from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, is also arrogant, sexist, and egotistical, and he cheated on his wife, Daisy. Donald Trump is the real-life Tom Buchanan through his sexism, infidelity, money spending, and attitude toward the lower class.

Origins of Wealth: A Common Background

Both Tom and Donald were born into rich families, which would classify them as “Old Money.” Donald’s grandfather, Frederick Trump, moved to America in 1885 when he was only sixteen years old. He gained fortune when he opened a restaurant and hotel in Bennett, British Columbia, Canada. He also later opened a restaurant and hotel in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. In the book, it does not tell us how far back Tom’s family wealth goes; it just tells us that he was born into a rich family.

Sexism: A Shared Disregard for Women

Unfortunately, sexism has been around for centuries. You would imagine by the year 2019, we would have the sexism thing figured out, but we don’t. Tom Buchanan was unquestionably a sexist. Throughout the book, Tom looks down on women and feels that women are weaker and not as important as men. Tom impulsively punches Myrtle Wilson and breaks her nose because she is screaming Daisy’s name. This action clearly shows that Tom has no respect for women at all. Our own President Of The United States, sadly, is a sexist. Donald Trump has made numerous remarks about women, which were very sexist remarks. He claimed that model and actor Heidi Klum lm was “No longer a 10” because she “looks older.” He also has claimed multiple times that most women are only successful because of their beauty. There are many more comments that Donald has made about women, some of which I cannot name because they are such vile comments.

Infidelity: A Parallel of Betrayal

Infidelity: The action or state of being unfaithful to a spouse. In this case, Donald Trump has committed infidelity way more than Tom has. Tom only had one affair (that we know of) in the book, and that was with Myrtle Wilson. Their affair lasts seven chapters, and then Daisy runs over Myrtle with Gatsby’s yellow car and kills her. Tom was very open about his “relationship” with Myrtle. He even had Nick meet her.

References:

1. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “The Great Gatsby.” Scribner, 1925.
2. Graham, David A. “How Trump’s Trade War Went From 18 Products to 10,000.” The Atlantic, 15 June 2018, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/06/trump-tariffs/562004/.
3. Staff. “Ford CEO: Trump Metals Tariffs Took $1B in Profit from Company.” Detroit Free Press, 25 July 2018, www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2018/07/25/ford-earnings-trump-tariffs-china/832003002/.
4. Wang, Yan. “Can Trump Win the US–China Trade War?” East Asia Forum, 5 May 2018, www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/05/05/can-trump-win-the-us-china-trade-war/.