With Inauguration Day around the corner, we spoke with Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Aaron Rosenthal, about past presidents attending the inauguration, what to expect in the early days of Biden's presidency, and the root cause of the Capitol riots.
President Trump said he would not be attending Biden's inauguration. Is this a common practice?
It is not common. In fact, it has only happened three times in American history. The last time it happened was in 1869 when Andrew Johnson refused to attend Ulysses S. Grant's inauguration. Johnson was a one-term president who was impeached during his time in office, something that might also sound familiar...
What we can expect from Biden's first 100 days in office?
Obviously, Biden will be focusing pretty heavily on the pandemic, as well as the economic collapse that has emerged from the pandemic. This work will likely involve measures designed to contain the spread of COVID-19 and efforts to speed the rate of people being vaccinated. In addition, we are likely to see another stimulus bill pretty early in his presidency.
I think the bigger question is where he turns after these initial reforms and the extent to which he views this period in time as an opportunity to reshape the American welfare state. In particular, does he seek structural reforms that address the racial and economic inequalities that have always existed in the US but were made clearer by the pandemic? Only time will tell.
Allegations of voter fraud recently led to the riots at the Capitol. How can democracy continue to operate when facts are now disputed?
This question helps to explain my previously expressed disdain for social media. We should be clear, however, that the insurrection at the Capitol was really about maintaining white supremacy in the US, as Hakim Jefferson recently wrote in FiveThirtyEight. It's important to acknowledge this reality because I think it tells us a lot about how the country should go about moving forward.
Yes, there is a need to consider reforms that counter the spread of disinformation, but we must understand that disinformation leads to things like the Capitol insurrection because of white supremacy. That should be our starting place as we try to repair American democracy.