The article discusses how shocking revelations that traditionally spurred governmental reforms, like the Watergate scandal, have diminished in impact during the Trump administration. Unlike past scandals that exposed serious misconduct and led to bipartisan corrective actions, today’s environment sees acts once deemed scandalous treated as policy. Trump's administration exemplifies this shift, with blatant transgressions becoming normalized, raising questions about their potential to incite reform. The historical context provided highlights the stark differences in political accountability and responsiveness to scandals now compared to previous presidencies.
In the Trump administration, what might have been deemed scandalous at another time is instead a governing program, openly avowed and pursued.
Watergate serves as a textbook example of scandal leading to reform, resulting in regulations to protect against abuse of power and executive misconduct.
Scandals, in the past, created openings for reform; today, the cycle of scandal leading to bipartisan agreement on corrective action seems unimaginable.
The question remains: what will turn the tide against these unrelenting attacks on democratic norms and the laws of governance?
Collection
[
|
...
]