I watched Trump’s inauguration more reconciled than 2017. Whilst there were echoes of the same approach, namely the ‘America First’ rhetoric that permeated the list of policies, there were some noticeable differences. You had a real sense that Trump was no longer impeded by a political establishment, whether in his own party, the bureaucracy or Congress. Whilst Trump’s Republicans do control the House and the Senate, just as in 2016, there is a greater sense of preparedness this time. You only had to listen to the clearly pre-planned announcements ranging from the Panama Canal to the WHO, from Greenland to gender identity, to realise that this time, he is ready to govern on his terms. No longer is there even an attempt to nod to the establishment with key figures in the administration; it is just diehards. This will make policy much more driven and polarised, with even less effort to reach out beyond the MAGA base. Also, with only one term left, Trump himself will also be in a hurry.
So, what does that mean for us who are responsible for teaching young people about politics?
I spoke with a colleague who plans to largely ignore the emerging policy debates across the Atlantic, focusing on as minimal potentially divisive and controversial topics as ever. However, that is not my stance It never has been. I thrive on the controversy of US politics, as do - I believe - our students. They enjoy being able to see beyond, with informed lessons and enrichment opportunities, the sensationalist headlines and easy insults on social media. I also still believe that US policy impacts UK politics eventually, and therefore, a fuller understanding of our own political debates and governing institutions is obtained by a thorough evaluation of the actions that come from Washington.
This; however, presents a challenge. Given the vast array of policy promises and new styles of executive governance which are clearly going to be at play, we face a renewed need to educate and equip students with new knowledge of American politics. Many of the old debates, examples and case studies will simply not be enough to help explain and exemplify the new political age in the United States. We need students to deepen their understanding of geopolitics to understand Trump’s views on the Panama Canal and peacemaker in the Middle East. We need students to appreciate the politics of trade to evaluate the incoming tariffs. We must make sure students have an appreciation of migration history to explain why a ‘national emergency’ has been called at the border. All of these require us to look at what and how we teach.
So, at Political Education For Students (PEFS), we are updating our services to include US 2024. The election is over, now begins the governing.
www.pefs.co.uk
Political Science and Human and Family Development student at Arizona State University
3 个月Such an exciting opportunity!