Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the President of United States, he has raised questions among observers as to the depth of his understanding of the countrys history. Most presidents before him spent a lot of time studying their political role models, and took solace in accounts of their times in office and trials whenever they were faced with a difficult situation. For example, Barack Obama was always quoting Abraham Lincoln while George W. Bush was an ardent reader of presidential biographies. Whenever Trump is talking about history, he gives the impression that he is learning about events or discovering things for the first time. This essay identifies three major issues or events that President Trump should understand in order to govern effectively.
A major event that President Trump needs to have an understanding of is the American Revolution. The era in US history that gave rise to this revolution and the founding of the nation is among the most crucial periods in the history of mankind. For instance, students who fail to develop an understanding of the main issues surrounding this era have a hard time grappling with the events they will come across successive periods in the countrys history. Significance of the battle for independence was felt far more than just in the North American continent. It gained the attention of top political figures in Europe who hoped to transfer the liberal ideas learnt to their own nations. The revolutions success reinforced the notion of natural rights across the Western world and spurred various colonized nations to go up in arms in order to defeat imperialism.
The American Revolution is all about a group of defiant merchants and unemployed dock-hands who declare war on the British Army, then the worlds strongest military force. It is also about a bunch of colonies that decided to unite and become a nation. It is interesting to find out how this group together with blacksmiths, farmers and others that it managed to inspire take on the mighty Britons. Notable strategies included the innovations made to the long rifle, unconventional combat tactics as well as a deep-rooted desire to change their ways of life; all of which contributed to victory in the War. President Trump can use the lessons learnt from the conflict to free the United States from the tyranny associated with bureaucracy.
By trimming grooves to barrels of their rifles, the Americans were able to aim more accurately and shoot further than their British opponents. If President Trump is going to battle the tyranny of bureaucracy, he needs to adopt better strategies. On their part, Americans have to examine various strategies, compare them, figure out the best one and then copy or improve it. After all, they can access information from the internet at a click of a button considering that the cost of personal computers and laptops has dropped significantly. By doing this, they will see a return on investment from an excellent customer service. Additionally, it will not be enough for Trump to learn from other nations and then attempt to be the best in government. His administration has to borrow innovations from top executives in the private sector.
If Trump is to succeed in changing the world of government, he needs to review the tactics he uses. At a time when warring armies lined up in battlefield and faced one another head on, Americans taking part in the revolution were perceived as barbaric for targeting enemy soldiers while hiding behind trees. All in all, this strategy turned out to a success, with General George Washington utilizing an intricate network to outsmart the opponents. It would be a good idea for Trumps administration to do away with the usual tactics and come up with new ones. Strategies such as pay for performance, worker suggestion programs, and website re-designs are yet to revolutionaries the world; meaning that there is no need to continue relying on them. The best thing to do is hide behind trees, i.e. hide within the pipes of the government, and then choose the most strategic targets that include the core things that Americans do.
Perhaps Trump can learn something from the reason as to why King George III gave up on the battle for the colonies. Britain retreated because its people were fed up with fighting a war that appeared to be thousands of miles away. Britons were tired of incurring exorbitant expenses and disruptions of their businesses located in the new world. The situation highlights the importance of making a resolve to change. There is no denying that change will take a long time, especially when it comes to altering the government culture. Americans will have to live with bad jokes and negative stereotype for some time before the government gets on the right track. The united states need people that are invested in change and who truly believe from their hearts that what they are fighting for is the right thing. Such individuals will never stop irrespective of how hopeless the situation may seem. While revolution-era patriots fought for their freedom, President Trumps administration can fight for Americans to have a better life. His goal should be to improve service delivery, maximize on the taxes that citizens invest, and look for innovative ways of assisting the less fortunate members of the American society.
Another historical event that President Trump needs to learn about is the declaration of independence. Doing so will give him a new perspective when it comes to foreign policy. What many people do not realize is that this even was crucial to other nations apart from the United States. The bravely showed by Americas founding fathers made the country a role model for others that were experiencing the same thing as what the British Empire was subjecting its colonies. It has great significance for the people of America as it was what resulted in independence from the British led by King George III, and justified the right to revolt against a regime that no longer guaranteed natural rights to the people. Also, it laid down certain ideals that the colonies believed were crucial for human beings to have; the most notable ones being equality and liberty.
In addition to giving America the right to fight the British in order to gain freedom, the Declaration of Independence also stated what the colonies thought Britain was doing wrong. In a way, it voiced their set of grievances. Before the American Revolution began, England had made into law a series of legislations historically referred to as the Intolerable Acts. These laws were perceived to be oppressive as they were meant to give England total control over all the thirteen colonies. Notable ones included the Stamp Act, the Tea Tax and the Quartering Act. The British even went to the extent of requiring that any revenue collected in the colonies be returned to England; a situation that prevented the Americans from being self-sufficient. Since the British were trying to gain control of everything, group of patriots led by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams set out to convince Americans that England was adopting tyrannical tendencies that they should not put up with. The declaration plays a crucial to recent American history and the world of today. Thanks to the words contained in the document, women have the same rights as men, while all citizens are treated the same irrespective of their race. Were it not for the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent steps taken by Americas founding fathers, some of the civil rights that citizens enjoy today might never have come to pass.
Lack of knowledge about Americas history is among the issues to blame for the cultural and political polarization that is tearing the nation apart. For President Trump to make sense of modern policy debates, he requires a significant amount of perspective. Absence of this can cause him to be more prone to biased hysteria and overreaction. A good example has to do with the issue of national security and executive power. It is worth looking at the executive decisions made by previous US presidents and the effects they had. For instance, Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson severely limited civil liberties during the First World War, and franklin Roosevelt put Americans of Japanese origin in detention camps. If Trump is not aware of impact of these decisions, then it would be difficult o for him to have any tangible perspective on the actions to take in the War on Terror.
A similar situation would happen if Trump is not aware of the federal immigration law, its history, and events related to it. For instance, during the Iranian hostage crisis, Jimmy Carter annulled all visas issued to Iranian citizens, preventing their entry into the US in the future. This incidence can make Trump think twice about his decision involving a temporary travel ban from a number of Middle Eastern nations. Also, if he does not know the entire history of race relations in the American society, it would be difficult for him to make progress in minimizing racial inequality.
References
Foner, E. (2013). Give Me Liberty! An American History: Seagull Fourth Edition (Vol. 1). WW Norton & Company.
Request Removal
If you are the original author of this essay and no longer wish to have it published on the customtermpaperwriting.org website, please click below to request its removal:
