The decline of norms has become a common criticism of Trump era politics. The violation of unwritten rules ties together some of the developments in what was an eventful week in American politics. The Iowa caucuses failed to produce a clear result. The president gave a Medal of Freedom to a radio host during the State of the Union, and the Speaker of the House ripped up his speech after it ended. The Senate voted to acquit Trump on both impeachment charges, with a lone Republican, Mitt Romney breaking away from his party and from historical precedent.
Critics of the Trump administration and of rising global populism often talk about norms when they mean democratic values. However, unwritten rules are all around us, governing the democratic process in ways that are sometimes value-neutral. They sometimes develop where formal rules are absent or inadequate, or where competing values come into play. With this in mind, it’s useful to look at the types of unwritten rules that were strained or broken this week, and what it means for the state of American democracy. CONT.
Julia Azari (Marquette), Mischiefs of Faction