ASSESSMENTS

America Divided: New Year, Same Story

Oct 11, 2018 | 19:34 GMT

The flags of the United States and America and the state of California flap against an azure sky.

California, where the Democratic Party controls state government, is the biggest challenger of federal policies issued by the Republican Party.

(Shutterstock)

Highlights

Just as it did last year, the United States remains greatly divided along party lines, with Democratic states pushing back against a Republican federal government.
The disputes remain largely unchanged, however, with certain issues stretching well beyond U.S. borders and domestic concerns — with potentially global implications.
The midterm elections may shift the balance of power in one or both chambers of Congress.
Regardless of the outcome, however, states such as California will continue to attempt to counter federal policy for at least the next two years.

The chasm in U.S. domestic politics is immediately evident on social media and news channels. With only six weeks before the congressional midterm elections, the parallel echo chambers of liberal and conservative media are focused on the latest pick for the Supreme Court. But a number of partisan battles are also being fought between the states and the federal government. Many have implications that can influence U.S. international relationships, its global technological competitiveness, and energy and environmental trends beyond the country's borders. And many of these disputes will drag on until either judges or lawmakers resolve them, just as some conflicts from President Donald Trump's first year spilled over into 2018....

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