The Tribune

AMONGST so many superlatives, the description of Donald Trump’s victory in Tuesday’s US presidential election as one of the most extraordinary days in American political history was perhaps the most extreme.

It reflects a stunning upset precipitated by his success in tapping into the discontent of a majority of American people who did not like the way the nation was going and wanted to bring about change.

It became clear that they had developed into a populist and anti-establishment movement which saw him as potentially a strong leader capable of delivering the change they were seeking.

Despite our continuing condemnation in these columns of the President-elect as an unsuitable person to have been the Republican nominee, it is incumbent on all who are committed to democracy to respect the institution of the presidency and wish him well. As Hillary Clinton said in her dignified and gracious farewell address, it is the responsibility of all citizens to be inclusive and big hearted and co-operate in seeking to build a fairer and better America because “we owe Donald Trump an open mind and a chance to lead”.

The US’ constitutional democracy provides for a peaceful transfer of power. The election has shown a divided and fragmented country. However, despite a bitter and messy campaign, both this speech and Mr Trump’s conciliatory and reassuring acceptance speech, calling for unity while praising his opponent and thanking her for her public service, augur well for future national stability.

A cursory look online at the foreign press reveals widespread fear of a Trump presidency given the extreme policy positions on international issues which he put forward during the campaign. But already, while putting America first, he has pledged to seek common ground rather than conflict. There is also apprehension at home about a likely radical policy agenda. This could lead to an intensification of the age-old struggle between the power of government and the protection of individual rights and liberty.

Students of American history are familiar with the well known dictum of the famous sage and luminary Benjamin Franklin that those who give up essential liberty to purchase a little safety will end up having neither. The modern interpretation of this is that even in a democracy it is important to limit the power of government - and this will become more important under a new president determined to push through change and reform with the Republicans now in control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

To outside observers, the capacity of the US to organise and run presidential and congressional elections on such a huge scale, involving over 100 million voters and announcing the results the same day, is an impressive achievement. It was a showcase for the exercise of democracy. However, the corruption and wrongdoing which were revealed - not least through Wikileaks - during the ugly and nasty campaign preceding it provoked disillusion and disgust with the whole political process which should have been less flawed in a country founded on the basis of ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’. It remains to be seen whether the new President will be able to clean out the mythical Augean stables or, in his own words, drain the swamp of Washington.

The election of an outsider to the US presidency has amounted to a peaceful revolution based on dissatisfaction with the political class. There are claims that this could justifiably be linked to Britain’s referendum vote to leave the European Union three months earlier, which itself demonstrated the gap in the United Kingdom between the establishment and the people.

One early effect of a new administration in Washington is the possibility of filling the post of American ambassador in Nassau again after it has been vacant since 2011. According to the US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, who was in town recently, a new government is likely to make such an appointment.

Something similar to the populist movement behind the US election and ‘Brexit’ could well spread to smaller countries like our own. Anger with the ruling Progressive Liberal Party government has grown steadily in the face of policy failures, corruption and gross mismanagement in many areas including the economy, a string of scandals and a widespread disregard for the people. For many, next year’s General Election here cannot come soon enough in order to bring about a new government and much needed change.