When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, a metaphorical wall went up between Democrats and Republicans in Washington. The two parties, who had previously worked together during the Cold War, grew distant from each other. This shift in their relationship may have been due to the disappearance of their common adversary, the USSR.
Before 1989, there had only been one presidential impeachment in US history (or two if we count Richard Nixon’s resignation). However, since then, there have been three impeachments. Additionally, before 1989, Supreme Court judges were often approved by the Senate without any dissenting votes. This has not happened since. Landslide presidential victories were also more common before 1989 but have become rare.
Several partisan forces emerged after the fall of the Berlin Wall including Fox News (1996), MSNBC (1996), and Newt Gingrich’s “revolution” in Congress (1994). These factors suggest that something broke in US politics once they no longer faced a serious external challenger like the USSR.
Despite China now posing as an external challenge to American power and values, there is still no domestic solidarity among Americans. Both political parties agree that China is a problem for America but this consensus does not translate into broader unity like it did during the Cold War.
The US cannot define itself against China as it did with the USSR because they are too economically intertwined. Unlike occupied Berlin or Korea’s 38th parallel where clear divisions existed between opposing camps, there is no exact equivalent with China.
China presents a more formidable challenge than Soviet Russia did due to its economic strength and population size. The bond between Beijing and Moscow is also stronger now than during much of the Cold War.
The “unipolar moment” after 1989 led to a divided nation where elections come down to small margins of voters in key states. While competitiveness is healthy for democracy, lack of consensus is concerning.
National unity often relies on opposition to an external threat or enemy. Without this shared enemy like during World Wars I and II or conflicts in central Europe against larger neighboring states, national identities can weaken.
In conclusion…
