The two major party nominees, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, led an unprecedented, historical election. Throughout the extremely negative, polarizing and controversial race, both candidates had the lowest approval ratings of any major party nominee (Wright). They reflected a major national discontent and strong divide between the parties, and overall, brought to light many underlying issues in the country. During the election, an overall abrupt upending of traditional politics only furthered negativity in the country. Mirroring America's discontent with the political establishment, the majority of Americans were upset with their choice of major party candidates, of whom they perceived to each be severely flawed (Chozick). The electorate saw Donald Trump, with no political experience, defy all establishment expectations and win the presidency, despite controversy that a traditional candidate likely could not have survived. Also, voters witnessed Hillary Clinton, a historically flawed candidate with a low approval rating, be nominated by a major party. Her continued email scandals and FBI investigations also furthered voter …show more content…
On the Republican side, many saw Hillary Clinton as the embodiment of these values. In addition, the terrorist epidemic persuaded many voters to look for a candidate that will be strongly militaristic, nationalistic and simply, someone they believed would keep them safe. Trump voters felt Hillary Clinton, especially due to the Benghazi scandal, would not be a competent, protective Commander-in-Chief. Also, all twenty interviewed voters were concerned the mainstream media is untruthful, and Donald Trump undoubtedly played on this concern constantly: "If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%”
Renowned author Charles Dickens once wrote, “it was the best of times and the worst of times” (Tale of Two Cities). An all to true statement when one looks at the current American political situation, but author and journalist Jonathan Rauch endeavors to analyze the current political climate and explain how it became what it is today. In his article ‘How American Politics went Insane’, Rauch dissects the 2016 election and events leading up to the final vote to understand how politics went sideways. Rauch begins by offering a hypothetical scenario that depicts an extreme disintegration of American politics and its political institutions and parties.
Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/la_riot/article/0,28804,1614117_1614084_1614831,00.html. Levy, W. (2013). The 'Standard'. United States presidential election of 2000.
In Sinclair’s analysis, voters, political activists, and politicians all play significant roles in creating and enforcing the ideological gap between the two major parties in Congress. This trend of polarization is rooted in the electorate
Donald Trump is a highly successful business titan, real estate mogul, reality television personality, and now a 2016 presidential candidate. Since announcing his candidacy this past June, he has been very loquacious on his views pertaining to foreign policy. He takes a very realist approach when addressing these issues. His views are very much in line with the belief that the international political arena is not dominated by altruistic ideologies, but rather nation-states that are self-interested. His foreign policy platform centers on using hard power to achieve America’s goals in the Middle East and to eradicate illegal immigration.
The 2016 presidential election has been one of the most talked about elections because of one man, Donald Trump. When the billionaire real estate mogul announced that he would be running for the Republican Party candidacy in the 2016 presidential election, he sent this country into an uproar. Donald Trump, who has never shied away from the media, has become one of the most talked about presidential candidate in history. On the day of his announcement for the republican candidacy, he sparked controversy because of his comment about the Mexican people, stating:
...ds, William. <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&offerid=6424&type=2&subid=0&url=http%253A//search.borders.com/fcgi-bin/db2www/search/search.d2w/Details%253F%2526mediaType%253DBook%2526prodID%253D3901535" >Political Attitudes in the Nation & the States<IMG border=0 alt=icon width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&bids=6424&type=2&subid=0" >. University North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute for Research in Social Science. 1974Mulcahy, Kevin and Katz, Richard. <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&offerid=6424&type=2&subid=0&url=http%253A//search.borders.com/fcgi-bin/db2www/search/search.d2w/Details%253F%2526mediaType%253DBook%2526prodID%253D14579075" >America Votes: What You Should Know About Elections Today<IMG border=0 alt=icon width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&bids=6424&type=2&subid=0" >. New Jersey, Prentice Hall Inc. 1976.U.S. News & World Report Politics Inside and Out Washington D.C., U.S. News and World Report. 1970
President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were the two candidates running for president in the 2016 election. They tore every aspect of one another to shreds trying to get elected. It forced America to split and pick sides. Riots, racist or sexist slurs all contributed to the Democrats and the Republicans fighting to have their candidate elected. America was left as a nation divided and has yet to fully heal. President Trump was elected because he won the electoral college, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. Most Americans voted for Clinton but because of the outdated electoral college, Trump won. The electoral college should be abolished because it does not hear the voice of all the voters. The electoral college does not represent the true majority of the public.
From their earliest formation, political parties have been a controversial aspect that have both strengthened and weakened the United States. It has a massive effect on voters, congress, and policymaking in the government. Party polarization is the prominent division that exists between parties, most noticeably Democrats and Republicans, because of the extreme differences of the ideological beliefs of the opposing parties. In the past, many individuals considered themselves “mixed” and did not associate themselves with just one side. According to www.pewresearch.org, “the share of Americans who express consistently conservative or consistently liberal opinions has doubled over the past two decades”. Every year less and less people consider
Today, political parties can be seen throughout everyday life, prevalent in various activities such as watching television, or seeing signs beside the road while driving. These everyday occurrences make the knowledge of political parties commonly known, especially as the two opposing political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. Republican and Democrats have existed for numerous years, predominantly due to pure tradition, and the comfort of the ideas each party presents. For years, the existence of two political parties has dominated the elections of the president, and lower offices such as mayor, or the House of Representatives. Fundamentally, this tradition continues from the very emergence of political parties during the election of 1796, principally between Federalist John Adams and Anti-federalist Thomas Jefferson. Prior to this election people unanimously conformed to the ideas of one man, George Washington, and therefore did not require the need for political parties.1 However, following his presidency the public was divided with opposing opinions, each arguing the best methods to regulate the country. Ultimately, the emergence of different opinions regarding the future of the United States involving the economy, foreign relations, ‘the masses,’ and the interpretation of the Constitution, led to the two political parties of the 1790s and the critical election of 1800.
Much of society is categorized into groups, subcultures and/or subspecies; Politics is much the same. While many different political parties have arose throughout history and had their major moments, two common parties stand out today in the United States political system. America’s government is comprised of ideals and paradigms that date back to the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece. The leading political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, are two separate yet similar entities that run the country’s government from the inside and out. The actions each politician takes effects the very world we live in. These parties share many similarities, many differences, and because of this a polarization of parties has dominated the day to day activities of Capitol Hill and the White House.
In the midst of one of the most controversial presidential elections in history, both political parties are struggling to prove that their candidate is the best choice. Clinton and Trump’s disapproval ratings are very low, but one has to ask, is there really a lesser evil to choose from? While Clinton has had her own fair share of past discrepancies, Trump’s track record proves much more troublesome. Donald Trump has proven to be an untrustworthy presidential candidate because of his misogynistic actions, his racial bias, and his corrupt business history.
Hillary Clinton should have won the 2016 Presidential Election for a variety of reasons, some of which are political and some of which are not. The first reason why Hillary should have been elected president is because she supports the declaration of independence in ways Donald Trump does not. As stated in the US Constitution “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” a quote with which Hillary supports unconditionally and which Donald Trump does not. Even though Trump has not clearly stated that he disagrees with the constitution it has been shown in his actions and what he advocates for, shown in the “conversion therapy” policy. The conversion therapy policy is psychological treatment or spiritual counseling designed to change a person's sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual.
Americans have become so engrossed with the rhetoric of political parties that many are unable have real discussions about “freedom, fairness, equality, opportunity, security, accountability.” (Lakoff p.177) The election of 1828 gave birth to the “professional politician” it demonstrated how “ambivalence” on issues, how image and the right language or narrative can influence voters. Partisanship did increase competition and empower voters to a greater degree, but it has also divided Americans and obstructed communication. As one historian declared the “old hickory” killed the ideal of nonpartisan leadership. (Parsons p.184) For better or for worse American politics were forever be changed in 1828.
After arguably the most divisive and polarizing election in the history of the United States, many Americans are asking how exactly did we get here? Political scholars and experts overrun cable news shows and newspaper editorials with troubling claims declaring that America may be a more polarized nation today than at any other time in its long history. There is no doubt that the American electorate is divided nearly along party lines on almost all current policy issues. Republicans and Democrats seem to be shifting farther and farther toward opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. This paper aims to answer the question of what the primary cause for this current state of polarization is.
During the presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both had extremely low ratings. Less than half of America viewed the candidates in a positive light with Hillary at 41 percent of the population and Donald at 33 percent. However, what is important to note here is that these were our final candidates for the election. Is it democratic that candidates that are unpopular with the majority of the United States can still become president? It doesn’t sound like