Is Trump’s White House becoming a royal court? | The Economist

One of the things that. really struck me powerfully. doing this reporting. is the dynamics. in the American government. in the White House, now in the executive branch, are a lot like a monarchy. There really is a court. There's a small number. of people who have power. There are a lot of courtiers. vying to get. the ear of the president. And if you can't get. the ear of the president, the next best thing is his children. to me, it looks a lot more. like the system of government. that America threw off in 1776. than it has at any other point. It's a huge irony. that on this 250th birthday,

it seems more like the system. it threw off. Charlotte, is this unique. or is this something. that we have seen. in the past, in America's history? Of course people. have always sought. the ear of the president. Of course, people, over time. have cosied up to various forms of. the president's cabinet or family. Nonetheless this is. really quite different, the way that Trump has structured. his White House, the relationship. between the president. and his children. and the business. that they're running. President Trump is really doing.

something very new. He's really muddied the waters there, when he advances. a policy there's ambiguity. about whether there might be. an actual conflict of interest. or a perception. of a conflict of interest. And this was something. the founders. were very focussed on, not just independence. or a lack of corruption, but they knew the corrosive effect. that the perception of those things. would have. And you see that reflected. in American polling. There's a real distrust. of government. it falls largely on partisan lines.

You have 90% of Democrats saying. they think the president is corrupt, about 10% of Republicans. But there is a broader. bipartisan distrust. and cynicism, I think, within the broader. American public. A fear of tyranny. and a fear that America. might be heading in. the wrong direction. is itself a protective trait. is itself a protective trait. it means that people. don't become passive. I think what is different right now. is that it's not a fear. that seems to.

be galvanising action to. a higher public good. It is fear that instead. seems to be driving people. to an acceptance and a cynicism. I wonder whether. the real difference here. isn't actually just the size. of the federal government. gives it so much more reach. in the 19th century. it was a few thousand people. and now it's, what, 2m employees, its share of spending is. over 20% of GDP. It was a few percentage. points of GDP in the past. I wonder whether. it's different in kind.

or whether it's. actually different in size. And that's what makes it feel. so significant. The presidency, the federal government is so big. I think that's a. really important point. It is happening at a time. when not only. is the federal government huge, but there is a concentration. of power in the executive. that is unprecedented.