By Lee Jong-eun
Many components of the world have been carefully following this yr’s U.S. presidential election. Amid surprises and anxieties, worldwide observers have adopted a sequence of dramatic occasions, corresponding to assassination makes an attempt on former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris changing President Joe Biden because the Democratic Occasion’s presidential candidate, conserving the race unpredictable and aggressive.
Korea is among the many international locations watching the U.S. election outcomes with eager curiosity. A main purpose for this consideration is the numerous impression the following U.S. president may have on the geopolitics of the Korean Peninsula. One more reason is that Korean politics have lengthy appeared towards the US as a political mannequin.
South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, rejected proposals for a European-style parliamentary system, as a substitute pushing for the adoption of an American-style presidential system. Korea has steadily debated adopting a number of options of the U.S. political system, corresponding to two-term presidency, to strengthen Korea’s political democracy. For a lot of Korean residents who’re essential of their nation’s politics, U.S. politics has typically been perceived as having larger stability, pragmatism and accountability.
But, this yr’s presidential election has proven that much like a number of modern democracies, the U.S. political system additionally experiences vital political challenges. What classes, then, can Korea draw from observing the present state of U.S. politics?
Some features of latest U.S. politics are much less relevant to Korea. Sure social points that polarize U.S. politics, corresponding to gun management and abortion, don’t outline political cleavages in Korean politics. As nonetheless a largely ethnically homogenous nation with a excessive share of college-educated residents, Korean politics doesn’t expertise the identical diploma of partisan divides alongside the traces of ethnicity or training as seen in U.S. politics. A overseas coverage rhetoric much like “America First” will probably have issue discovering political traction in South Korea, which depends on financial and safety partnerships with different international locations corresponding to the US. Lastly, Korea elects its president by means of a direct common vote reasonably than by means of an electoral school system.
Different traits of U.S. politics, nevertheless, present related classes for modern Korea. First, the 2 main U.S. political events are prone to exhibit selective empathy towards the political activism of assorted home teams. Trump’s Republican Occasion is extra prone to affirm empathy towards the activisms of voters protesting what they understand because the imposition of liberal cultural values and the burdens of worldwide commerce and alliances. In distinction, Harris’s Democratic Occasion is extra prone to affirm empathy towards the voters protesting the perceived reversal of socioeconomic progress and the erosion of U.S. world management. Throughout the political spectrum, voters’ worry of the political final result has amplified, with nervousness and aversion towards the result the place the get together much less empathetic to their issues wins the presidency.
Second, U.S. politics is experiencing elevated desensitization to political scandals and violence, bolstered by a partisan outlook on nationwide politics. Voters supporting Trump usually tend to ignore new controversies regarding their candidate, anchored of their desire for his presidency over that of the opponent. In distinction, voters against Trump usually tend to react resignedly to the information of assassination makes an attempt on Trump as a continuation of political instability fueled not less than partly by Trump’s personal divisive rhetoric.
Third, hyper-partisanship has inspired challenges to long-standing political traditions and practices as soon as considered important for political stability however now perceived as favorable to the rival get together. Since his first presidential time period, Trump has proven a willingness to reverse diplomatic agreements and political precedents. Criticizing the “weaponization” of the judiciary system in prosecuting Trump, Republicans have develop into vocal in criticizing the actions of courts and prosecutors. The Democrats, in distinction, have additionally develop into vocal of their opposition to the U.S. Senate’s supermajority rule, filibuster and Supreme Court docket’s lifetime appointments as granting partisan benefits to conservative Republicans.
These traits in modern U.S. politics function warnings for Korea’s democracy, which faces comparable political challenges. As Korean society turns into diversified with competing calls for from numerous social demographic teams, there are issues that Korea’s political events are additionally incentivized to exhibit selective empathy towards particular teams, probably fueling antipathy amongst teams with conflicting socioeconomic pursuits. Particularly, as Korea grapples with reforms in training, labor and pension programs, there are risks {that a} tradition battle much like that within the U.S. may happen if a sure group perceives neglect in empathy by one of many main events. As a number of high-profile figures in modern South Korean politics face political controversies and authorized trials, there are additionally dangers that the South Korean public could develop into politically desensitized. Anchored of their aversion towards a specific political get together whether or not ruling or the opposition, Korean voters could exhibit static partisan loyalty, minimally affected by information of political scandals or authorized verdicts.
Lastly, Korea could face the same temptation to undertake a “winner-take-all” strategy to politics. Annoyed by perceived obstruction from the opposition, the profitable get together could also be motivated to maximise its political mandate to enact coverage modifications by decreasing the quantity or skill of potential “veto gamers.” Whereas such modifications may facilitate the faster passage of main reforms, additionally they threat escalating hyper-partisan political conflicts.
How will modern U.S. politics overcome the challenges of selective empathy, political desensitization and hyper-partisanship that may probably persist past this yr’s presidential election? As modern South Korean politics struggles to handle comparable political challenges, the U.S. political system continues to function a mannequin, for constructive and cautionary classes. And maybe, South Korean politics may additionally discover options that provide related classes for the US.
Lee Jong-eun is an assistant professor of political science at North Greenville College.