Comprehensive Impacts of Trump’s Second Year: Social Contract

This publication is meant to be a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the Trump administration. There are many things that happened during the campaign that are not included. For this series covering the second year, impacts from about January 20, 2018, to January 31, 2019, are included. An introduction to this year’s series is here.

You can read the complete series on the first year of the administration here.

There are sure to be things missing, but I have done my best to record these impacts. The impacts are compiled under 19 different categories, or articles:

1. Cabinet and Other Appointments;

2. Science & Environment;

3. Women & Families;

4. LBGT;

5. Judicial/Constitutional;

6. Ethics;

7. Targeting free press/free speech/Privacy;

8. Health & Safety;

9. Consumer Protections;

10. Education;

11. Transportation/Infrastructure/Housing;

12. Immigration;

13. Social Contract;

14. Business/Economy/Budget;

15. Military/Defense/Police;

16. World;

17. General Governance;

18. Character; and

19. Some good news. Because there is always some good news.

Since this series takes a long time to write, I will publish each section as I complete it. This article is on Trump’s impacts on the country’s social contract.

Although we have moved on from Trump’s dark ages with the 2020 election, I will complete this entire series because it’s so important that we never forget the damage done to millions of people, the fabric of the country, and basic democracy by the Trump administration.

Photo by John Moeses Bauan on Unsplash

Social Contract

Trump has tried to dismantle the foundation of the country, including the social contract. The basic historical glue of the success of this country is diversity and immigration. Yet under Trump, Latinos have become increasingly concerned about their place in the country. Half of those surveyed reported feeling that life has become more difficult for them under Trump rule, and nearly 40 percent reported experiencing some kind of harassment related to their ethnicity. Others have noted that Trump’s America feels eerily like Germany just before the Nazis took over.

· Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed new work requirements for adults in subsidized public and private housing, allowing public housing and private owners to require adults to work 32 hours a week. This proposal would allow states to start adding work requirements for rental assistance. The proposal also calls for rent increases for subsidized housing, as well as a prohibition on deducting medical and childcare costs from expenses when determining subsidies.

· To justify this, Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers declared that “America’s long-running war on poverty is largely over and a success.” (They should probably tell that to 38 million people still living in poverty and the 94 million living close to poverty. And hunger remains high with nearly 12 percent of all Americans suffering from food insecurity.)

· McConnel and republicans were suddenly worried about the national debt with an opportunity to cut safety net programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Programs that they decry as “entitlement.”

· When this budget proposal failed, Trump signed an executive order to force low-income recipients of food assistance, Medicaid, and low-income housing subsidies to join the work force or face the loss of their benefits.

· Those cuts will force retirees out of nursing homes by drastically reducing the amount that states are required to pay for coverage and making it harder to qualify for medically needing nursing home care.

· In fact, soon after, tens of thousands of elderly and disabled people faced eviction from nursing homes and group homes in Louisiana after Medicaid benefits were cut under a budget shortfall.

· In addition, more than 4,000 people lost Medicaid in Arkansas due to work requirements.

· The cuts also challenge Native Americans’ historical standing with Trump insisting that tribes are a race rather than a separate government, rescinding their exemptions as “preferential treatment.”

· Trump also tried to implement drug testing for those using food stamps. This despite all of the evidence showing that drug testing wastes hundreds of thousands of dollars at the state level, which would be much more at the federal level, and yields few positive tests.

· Trump rolled back some child labor laws, allowing teenagers to operate power-driven patient lifts used in nursing homes and hospitals.

· Trump continued to push for the NRA’s proposal to arm teachers and school staff.

· Under Trump, Republicans in Congress were openly eager to cut Medicare and social security to offset the $1.5 trillion in tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy.

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

· Trump’s Congress also attempted to cut a million people off food stamps with a historic reversal of the farm bill.

· In fact, Trump tried to merge the Labor and Education departments, consolidate social safety net programs, and reorganize federal food safety functions.

· During the republican-led government shutdown, Trump refused to allow federal workers in seven states to receive unemployment benefits during the time they weren’t receiving a paycheck.

· After the shutdown, the lowest paid federal workers such as janitors, security guards, and cooks were not guaranteed any back pay at all.

· Due to Trump’s influence, McConnell watered down a statement in response to Russia’s interfering with the 2016 election, preventing then-President Obama from speaking out publicly.

· Trump’s republicans also blocked efforts to beef up election security. (Spoiler alert: They were suddenly very interested in election security in 2020.)

The next article will cover Trump’s impacts on business, the economy, and the budget.