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Nanovic Institute for European Studies change as a key policy area in which the Biden administration can begin to repair relations and regain trust via policy collaboration and follow through. The remaining two sections will then investigate the future of Europe’s own political parties with regard to the most recent American election, and consider how Europe might chart a path towards greater self-reliance economically and in international affairs.
What Now? European Trust in the Democratic Process and Institutions in the U.S. European trust in American democratic institutions has sharply declined as a result of some of Trump’s international policies, the lead-up to both the election and the changing of administrations, and the January 6 Capitol riots. Debates range on whether Trump’s tenure, including the rhetoric surrounding his campaign for reelection, was an anomaly amidst years of relative democratic stability in the United States, or if he was, instead, an indication of a more lasting populist movement that is mirrored in Europe and around the world. Beyond President Trump’s influence on American and global politics, the U.S. faces the remaining challenge of reestablishing the legitimacy of the American political system and democratic processes and instilling trust among its allies. “BROKEN SYSTEM”
The U.S. has historically enjoyed a reputation of and presented itself as an exemplar of democracy, promoting free and fair elections with peaceful transitions of power around the globe, and positing its own democratic institutions as models to which other nations could aspire. The 2020 U.S. election has undoubtedly tarnished the United States’ reputation as a beacon of democratic governance, but despite the tumult of the election and transition of power, many claim that the United States’ democratic institutions have passed a stress test, even if not unscathed.133
University of Notre Dame | Keough School of Global Affairs
