Raghav Week 10: Beacon of Democracy

The founding principles of the United States revolved around liberty, freedom, and democracy for the people of the nation. However, over the 250 years since the founding of the nation, the power structures and role of the government have changed; more often than not, the changes empowered the government to take more control of the people and the country. Now that we are on the 47th President, the changing power is apparent as a flurry of executive orders left the Oval Office within the last week. The outward showcase of power sets a clear precedent for what the nation can expect in the next four years, and it is a mixed bag. 

Right from being appointed president on the 20th of January, President Trump spent his time live streaming his signing of tens of different executive orders for the entire day. Some of these orders included altering the 14th amendment, redacting an act he worked to pass previously that banned TikTok, declaring an energy crisis, exiting the World Health Organization, and even renaming certain culturally significant locations such as the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali to Gulf of America and Mount McKinley. These changes have placed the nation in a state of unrest, bringing about changes that are centered around semi-complete American ideologies at the expense of other nations. 

The 14th amendment was a founding principle of the country, allowing all of those born in the US to become citizens—a specifically important rule as an overwhelming majority of American people are immigrants. The switch marks a change in thought that America is no longer a haven for the people of the world, but rather an exclusive club for those who have already made it here. The pattern continues as the government blocks access of citizens to an application that promotes community discussion and sustains the livelihood of thousands of Americans on incomplete evidence of Chinese misuse of data. The focus on an energy crisis will allow the government to extract natural resources from previously protected areas like parts of Alaska to compensate for the current crisis, pushing back on the climate mission that the world is moving towards gradually. The exit of the nation from the WHO expands on a disconnect between American nations and the rest of the world, as this organization has been founded as a global information channel to protect and prevent all nations from disease outbreaks and promote medical advances. The final thrust of power is seen with renaming historically and even globally significant geographical locations like the Gulf and Mount Denali to entirely American focused names which include nearly no historical meaning apart from proving America’s ignorance of the world apart from itself.

Trump signing exceutive orders

It is clear that the power with Federal leadership has been growing constantly, but the realities of today make it abundantly clear that the inspiring beacon America once was for Democracy and individual freedom is now slightly diminished. 


Comments

  1. Jacob WangFebruary 5, 2025 at 6:57 PM

    Hi Raghav! Thank you for writing yet another blog about Trump, it keeps me informed. I too find it kind of concerning the amount of power the government is gaining. Oftentimes in history class I would scoff at government inaction to do anything, such as Hoover and his disastrous presidency, because I am so used to modern day government. However, as you said, the founders of the United States never intended to give the federal government so much control. This new series of power displays are certainly concerning, and I'm looking forward to seeing yet another blog on this topic next week.

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  2. SadiaFebruary 5, 2025 at 9:17 PM

    Hello, Raghav! I really liked your post about the change of power dynamics in America. I agree that executive orders show a big change on how things are handled, for example, like you mentioned changes in the 14th Amendment, blocking TikTok, and leaving the WHO. I also found your point about renaming cultural landmarks like Mount Denali and the Gulf of Mexico interesting, even though it seems like an unnecessary way to show American dominance on those areas, ignoring their significance behind their names. Mount Denali is named after the Alaskan-Native Americans who lived there, and Gulf of Mexico, which shaped the natural heritage and culture. I really appreciate the insights you shared!

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