The Christian Science Monitor

On policy, Trump favors one side of red-blue divide

President Trump’s major policy moves over the course of his first year in office have had a common denominator: They either overtly favor his base of support – the roughly one-third of voters who solidly back him – or they appear to penalize those states that vote Democratic.

The most striking example is tax reform, which struck a blow against blue-state Americans who tend to pay high state and local taxes, or SALT. These are residents of states that did not vote for Mr. Trump in 2016, and beginning this year, SALT deductibility on federal taxes is curtailed.

Other recent policy moves also appear to have an anti-blue tilt. Soon after the Trump administration announced a plan to

To the winner go the spoilsThe end of congressional bargaining

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor2 min readPolitical Ideologies
Civic Joy In South Africa’s Vote
Thirty years after South Africa ended its violent system of racial segregation called apartheid through peaceful elections, it may be poised for another watershed moment: a transition from one-party rule to pluralism and power-sharing. For the first
The Christian Science Monitor4 min readPolitical Ideologies
Young Poles Led A Political Revolution. Now They Need To Learn Patience.
Life in Poland is finally moving in the right direction, says Łukasz Dryżałowski. The Warsaw-based engineer-turned-filmmaker helped rally friends and strategize how and where to vote six months ago, in an election that saw 69% of Poles under 30 turn
The Christian Science Monitor5 min readInternational Relations
Historic Israeli Desire To ‘Go It Alone’ Is Tested By Gaza And Iran
As the world grows increasingly critical of the war in Gaza and pressure builds for a permanent cease-fire, Israel finds itself torn between two inclinations: cooperate with the international community that rallied to its side after Hamas’ attack in

Related Books & Audiobooks