No doubt you aware of the great political chasm that divides the American people into two warring ideological camps. In reality, it doesn’t exist.
In truth, the majority of Americans share similar opinions on almost all major issues affecting their lives. The political polarization that does exist occurs between that majority of Americans and the Trump administration and its allies, who cram minority-held positions down the throats of the majority.
Democracy is based upon majority rule with the rights of historically marginalized groups protected by the Constitution. Trump has turned democracy on its head, implementing policy antithetical to the will of the majority by imposing minority rule:.
- Over two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s tariffs, citing the negative economic impact on their lives. That the majority disapproves has not stopped Trump from continuing to slap tariffs on at least 30 countries, including America’s staunchest allies and largest trading partners.
- 70 percent of Americans believe that climate change is a serious problem that the government should address. Trump has done nothing at the federal level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. In fact, he has exacerbated the problem by gutting programs aimed at curbing emissions and championing increased production of fossil fuels responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions.
- 58 percent of Americans favor stricter gun control laws to address America’s epidemic of gun violence. Trump, a National Rifle Association member and regular speaker at NRA events, opposes federal gun-control regulations, claims that America’s epidemic of mass shootings is “not a gun problem,” and supports concealed-carry permits being legally transferable in all 50 states. Trump called federal funding for state Red Flag laws in the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act a gun grab by “Radical left Democrats.”
- 63 percent of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases and disapproved of the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade in 2022. During his first term, Trump packed the Supreme Court with ultra-conservative justices with the express intent of overturning Roe, a central promise of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Currently, millions of women are denied the right to an abortion in states that do not legally authorize it.
- A large majority of Americans favor voting laws that provide the greatest voter access for all eligible citizens, including allowing mail-in voting, voter registration on Election Day, early in-person voting two weeks prior to Election Day, and making election day a national holiday. Trump signed an executive order to restrict voter access by eliminating mail-in voting, requiring all ballots to be received by Election Day, and requiring proof of citizenship, which could disenfranchise more than 21 million registered voters. Since the Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and Congress,federal judges have ruled Trump’s executive order unconstitutional.
- 65 percent of Americans favor a single-payer Medicare-for-All type of national health insurance program administered by the federal government. Trump characterized a Medicare-for-All health program as a dangerous scheme by “radical socialists.” Trump supports the current private for-profit health insurance model that has produced outrageously expensive health insurance. He has also supported repealing the popular Affordable Care Act, which provides insurance for over 45 million Americans.
- 62 percent of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and 55 percent say Trump has gone too far in carrying out deportations. Trump is in the process of carrying out “the largest deportation plan in American history,” has never supported a pathway to citizenship for all law-abiding undocumented immigrants, and has violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution by signing an executive order to eliminate birthright citizenship.
Polls show that other issues in which the majority of Americans oppose Trump include his suspending military aid to Ukraine; his close, trusting relationship with Vladimir Putin; the murderous US attacks on Venezuelan citizens accused of drug smuggling; the threatened military invasion of Venezuela; the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities under false pretenses; Trump’s disdainful treatment of traditional allies; and his increasingly authoritarian, anti-democratic actions.
A government that ignores the will of the majority by establishing minority rule is on the road to fascism. Trump’s minority-rule government has more in common with the faux democracies of Russia, Hungary, and Turkey than the strong, healthy democracies of Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, and Australia. In countries where the will of the majority is ignored by an authoritarian government, democracy inexorably dies.
Majority rule is a fundamental principle of democracy, the will of the majority shaping to a great extent the policies of a government. If applied in the US, it would fundamentally change the current direction of the Trump-controlled government.
The majority rule would result in laws and policies that would protect democracy against authoritarian usurpation, eliminate tariffs that hurt Americans, reduce greenhouse gas emissions substantially, provide maximum access to eligible voters, provide all women the legal right to an abortion, ensure that all Americans receive affordable healthcare, reestablish America’s positive relationship with its allies, create a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented immigrants, enact sensible gun regulations common among most advanced democracies, and end all hostile US actions against other countries in violation of international and domestic laws.
While today’s Trump-controlled, MAGA-dominated Republican Party opposes all such policies, the majority of Americans and the Democratic Party are united in support. Were Democrats to control Congress with a Democratic president, the will of the majority that is foundational to democracy could be realized.
Trump will remain president for three more interminably long years, unless he’s impeached and removed. In the midterm elections, however, the majority of Americans can vote out this rubber-stamp Republican Congress and render Trump a lame duck.
American voters have the power to begin restoring America’s assaulted and bloodied democracy by wresting it from the control of Trump and his allies intent on dismantling it. Passive resignation is not an option.
- Tom Tyner is a freelance editorialist, satirist, political analyst, blogger, author and retired English instructor.
