On presidential norms and the coming political knife fight – MinnPost

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Donald Trump

From the moment Trump declared his candidacy for president, many people have been offended by his violation of norms. However, what is a norm? The best if yet incomplete definition of a norm is a standard practice or behavior not officially codified in rules. Norms are just that expectations without official coercive mechanisms except rebuke from peers and punishment by voters. But when voters are polarized along party lines instead of specific issues, tribal affiliation is highly indicative of voters political positions. Accordingly, checking norms violations devolves into extreme partisan warfare.

One central element to todays political tribalism is identity politics, or the formation of political alliances based on specific characteristics. More extreme examples are I will only support non-white men on the left or no immigrants from Muslim countries on the right. One stems from the desire to include people historically left on the political periphery and another from a fear of insecurity. I am not drawing moral equivalency, but merely pointing out our non-compromise political environment.

This non-compromise political environment has allowed Trump to violate norms once followed by previous presidents with little repercussion (yet). Trump has violated campaign norms such as not disclosing his tax returns, rejecting divestment from his business interests, lying with a pathology unseen in modern American political history, and openly appealing to nativism. He has also wrought fury upon institutionalized norms such as not politicizing the Justice Department or questioning the NATO alliance. The media has been labeled enemy of the people, although he is hardly the only president to have conflicts with journalists (see Obama circa 2015).

These norms bely the cracks they covered. The first crack is the growth of presidential power, which allows for significant unilateral executive action. All Trump did was implicitly admit its good to be king with his chauvinistic bravado. Second, congressional checks on presidential power are now hostages of the political environment more so than most living people can remember. This is possible because of the third crack. The political environment is hyper-partisan and rewards Trump for his I have big hands swagger. Trump laid the cracks before his opposition to see, and neither impeachment nor daily condemnation has worked. Doubt that? See his approval ratings.

Isaac Russell

It also tells us what should and should not be a norm needs to be revisited. Should the president legally be required to disclose tax returns or divest business interests? How do you punish the president for asking a foreign power to investigate a political opponent when Congress manifests the tribalism of the electorate that has been perpetuated by political parties? Well, better win the House and the Senate, because politicians face their parties base in primaries, not yours.

Lastly, it tells us even Americans outside of Trumps base are more nationalistic than people care to admit. Trump may have violated a norm by asking Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden, but its tough to get people to care about a country most couldnt find on a map. Much of the rights tribalism is driven by nationalism and disdain for the lefts political correctness. Many voters know Trump isnt perfect and some revel in his decimation of established norms. They value American interests defined materially and to differing extents ethnically, which gives Trump great leverage when the economy is doing well. This is not merely a political knife. It is a political broadsword, and those who want norms to prevail had better find a broadsword of their own.

Isaac Russellis a Humphrey School of Public Affairs Masters of Public Policy student and a legislative assistant in the Minnesota Senate.

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On presidential norms and the coming political knife fight - MinnPost