A Call for Cooperation

Once again, our federal government has experienced a shut down due to Congress not coming to an agreement on federal funding. What is special about this recent governmental shut down is that it occurred when there is unified government, as in one party “controls” the legislative and executive branches. I put quotation marks around the word “control” due to the fact that the Republican Party is immensely fractured, with each faction wishes to control the agenda of the party. The remedy for the problems within the Republican Party extends beyond simply reaching out for bi-partisanship across the aisle. Instead, the President of the United States of America needs to bring his party back together and act on a united front in order to face the challenges ahead in domestic and foreign policy.

On one hand, any Democrat in American right now is happy that the members of Republican Party are running around like chickens with their head cut off. Some Democrats are reveling in the fact that the head of the opposing party, President Trump, is at constant odds with his own administration, Party leadership in Congress, and with the general American public.  Not only are Republicans confused as to what the Party is trying to accomplish, but these opposing interests are preventing any substantial legislation from being passed.

It is typical of any presidential administration to have their own policy agenda they wish to achieve during their administration that may or may not conflict with the policy agenda of the Congressional leadership. What is atypical of this administration is that the open antagonism between the establishment politicians and the Anti-establishment radicals that have influenced how President Trump has conducted himself with policy-making. This influence has thus far prevented him from utilizing traditional channels to get policy passed.  

Amidst all the chaos of the policy-making process, a clear solution lies at the center of the problem: cooperation from the President. Trump, unfortunately, needs to be the mediator between the Republicans and Democrats within Congress, as well as between Republicans and other Republicans. Trump has previously reached out to Democrats when his own party has been divided on policy preferences. In our heavily polarized political climate, only in specific circumstances where the Democratic Congressional representatives would be willing to work with the Republicans to pass policy. Trump cannot rely on the willingness to cooperate from the Democratic to carry him through to the end of his term, because the political environment is in a constant state of flux. The conditions under which they would be willing to work with the other side may change, and their willingness to cooperate will go with it. Plus, it doesn’t help when he goes on twitter to bash Democrats when the legislative process doesn’t go his way. Of course, pursuing the spirit of bipartisanship is a worthy cause. But in our current political climate, it far more practical of President Trump to pursue alliances with members of his own party to try and get policy passed. Since taking office, Trump hasn’t had any sustainable legislation passed even under a united government. With practicality in mind, it makes more sense for Trump to try and resolve his issues with the other members on his own team than to go play on the other side.

One of the biggest threats to the international community is instability of the government of the global hegemon. Not to say that our entire government is in danger anytime soon, but when our government shuts down for an indefinite amount of time, it sends a message to the international community that we don’t have our act together. That we are not unified as a country during times of global anxiety. Our authority and legitimacy is question when our political enemies’ like North Korea, China, and Russia see we are significantly dysfunctional on domestic affairs, let alone foreign ones.  Our country needs to appear to be on a united front when faces these foreign countries, and it has the responsibility of our President to create and present this illusion to the international stage. With the current behavior of the President, it shows that he doesn’t have the skillset to rise to the occasion and fulfill his role as the face of American foreign policy.