Government: Calling on Racism to Run Federal and State Governments

Abstract

Robert Fantina looks at the federal government’s management during the Trump administration, and its effects. Americans have never known what it would be like to have segments of the federal government rendered inoperable. The Trump administration was a quasi-experiment in not having a functioning government. Trump’s cabinet consisted of individuals from the top 1% of Americans who dominate the nation’s wealth and are the only class that benefits financially from racism. They controlled key federal departments—education, environment, and state. These one-percenters are already overwhelmingly represented in the Senate. During Trump’s administration, cutbacks in staff, budgets, and willingness to execute department missions diminished virtually all consumer, environmental, educational, financial regulations, and services. Instead, there were predictable tax breaks for the very wealthy. The cutbacks visibly impacted the poor. Less visible were the effects on working- and middle-class Americans of all races, notably the majority of White Americans.