IAN BREMMER: The US vs itself
The prospect of a Donald Trump victory will weaken the US’s position on the global stage as Republican legislators take up his foreign-policy positions
While the US’s military and economy remain exceptionally strong, its political system is more dysfunctional than that of any other advanced industrial democracy. In 2024, the US presidential election and the political divisions it exacerbates will test the resilience of US democracy like nothing the country has experienced in more than 150 years.
The US political system is remarkably divided, and public trust in its core institutions — particularly Congress, the judiciary and the media — is at historic lows. Add algorithmically amplified disinformation to the mix, and Americans no longer believe in a common set of settled facts about their nation and the world. The two major parties’ likely presidential candidates are widely considered unfit for office. Donald Trump faces dozens of felony criminal charges, many directly related to actions taken during his presidency. President Joe Biden would be 86 years old at the end of his second term. A clear majority of Americans want ne...
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