America

Why It's Hard to Get Big Things Done in American Politics

Why It's Hard to Get Big Things Done in American Politics

On a sunny afternoon in late February 2016, I drove from Nashville to Birmingham. With a mix of Sunday boredom and sheer curiosity, I had decided to stop in Huntsville to experience a truly unprecedented occasion, a momentous rally of support for then-candidate Donald Trump. As I walked through the gates and gained access after the imposing Secret Service performed various security checks, I could feel a distinct emotion radiating from the attendees. One could almost taste this emotion: it was a bitter yet impeccably hopeful excitement in anticipation of hearing from the man seen as a savior, who would fix past grievances hurled upon the working class by an unrepresentative government. The radiant emotion present among the attendees of this rally was clearly one of anger and – dare I say it – scapegoatism....