Eminent Scholar Sounds Alarm on American Democracy's Precipice
Habib Al Badawi
Professor at the Lebanese University - Expert in Japanese Studies & International Relations
How to cite: Badawi, H. (2024, May). The Looming Crisis for American Democracy: Trump’s Defiant Run Risks Igniting Turmoil. ISSF. https://issf.org.in/2024/05/the-battle-for-hamilton-hall-columbias-frontline-in-the-gaza-solidarity-movement/
In a new professional collaboration with the esteemed Indian Strategic Studies Forum (ISSF), I share my approach to reveal what is expected from Trump – Biden standoff:
In a timely and authoritative analysis, Professor Habib Al Badawi , a preeminent expert in American Studies at the Lebanese University, delves into the severe threats jeopardizing American democracy. His insightful publication, “The Looming Crisis for American Democracy: Trump's Defiant Run Risks Igniting Turmoil ,” released by the prestigious Indian Strategic Studies Forum (ISSF), scrutinizes the acute and chronic challenges imperiling the United States' governing foundations.
The acute menace, as Prof. Badawi astutely identifies, is the burgeoning refusal among certain factions of the Republican Party to accept electoral outcomes, a chilling development exemplified by the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This concerted effort aimed to overturn the legitimate 2020 election results. Alarmingly, hundreds of elected GOP officials perpetuate the false narrative of a “rigged” election. Prof. Badawi gravely warns of “the possibility, for the first time in American history, that a legitimately elected president will not be able to assume office.”
Equally concerning is the chronic threat—the widening chasm between public sentiment and the formulation of government policies and judicial rulings. This democratic disconnect manifests in recent unpopular Supreme Court decisions that defy majority opinion and the troubling phenomenon of presidents ascending to power despite losing the nationwide popular vote. As Prof. Badawi emphatically states, “We are far and away the most counter majoritarian democracy in the world.”
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Through a nuanced examination of the multifaceted causes underlying this crisis, the publication delves into socioeconomic factors like stagnant working-class wages, rapidly shifting cultural demographics, and the stark rural-urban political divide. This schism has become so pronounced that the rivalry between liberal and conservative ideologies now carries an existential weight for both camps.
Prof. Badawi 's authoritative and thought-provoking analysis provides vital insights into this pivotal juncture for American democracy, offering a clarion call for vigilance and principled action to safeguard its cherished principles. This tour de force publication can be accessed in its entirety at:
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