[ot-caption title=”Donald Trump’s election will shape global and domestic politics for years to come.” (Via AgnosticPreachersKid, Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0)

As Donald Trump prepares to command the Oval Office as President of the United States, America prepares for several changes to take place. The legislative branch of government is now Republican, leaving the entire government with a conservative majority because President-Elect Trump will have the opportunity to nominate at least one Supreme Court Justice. Regardless of beliefs over Trump’s views, his term in office is shaping up to be quite eventful.  [spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

A paramount effect of a Donald Trump presidency is Trump’s ability to create an almost entirely Republican Supreme Court. There is already one position, which used to belong to the late Antonin Scalia, vacant in the Supreme Court . Additionally, three Supreme Court justices, two of them liberal, are over 75 years of age. This means that a justice of Donald Trump’s choosing will most likely replace each of them, creating a strong conservative majority.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Ms. Bass, an AP United States Government and Politics teacher at Pine Crest, agrees with this sentiment, but she believes Barack Obama has other options. Article II section 2 of the Constitution permits a president to make temporary recess appointments when the Senate is in recess over ten days. So, if the Senate stays in recess from late-December through January 3rd, President Obama may schedule a temporary recess appointment of Merrick Garland, a nominee who has been pending consideration since March of 2016. The President could also ask Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the oldest Supreme Court judge, to resign. This would leave a seat for a justice of Obama’s choosing in the same manner as a Scalia replacement. Although this is a possibility, Ms. Bass does not believe this is an action that he will take. [spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

On the campaign trail to the presidency, Donald Trump made several campaign promises, including his perennial vow to build a wall, and his plan to defund Planned Parenthood. While Newt Gingrich, a member of Trump’s transition team, dismisses the wall as a “campaign device,” it is still certain that the new leadership will crack down on immigration policy. On top of this, Trump planned to repeal the Affordable Care Act and instead will allow citizens to subtract health care premiums from their taxes.  However, recently he has backtracked on this statement.  Although America expects these changes, it is murky as to whether or not Trump will stay true to his promises, as he is admitting that some of his plans will not be accomplished during his term.  [spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Many state and citywide elections will also evoke major change in the American political system with a conservative majority, but this will not make the process of pushing a bill through Congress completely smooth. According to Government-Politics teacher Mr. Herard, “It would be hyperbole to say that all of Trump’s policies will be pushed through. All presidents have to go through compromise even if one party controls the White House and legislature because the Republican party has very diverse viewpoints, meaning that not all politicians will side with Trump on every single issue.” The government will become less gridlocked, and this may mean that the opinions of the liberals and independents may be minimized by the majority.  [spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Trump’s has made many appointments since becoming the President-Elect.  His newly announced picks include retired General Mike Flynn, an avowed proponent for eschewing political correctness and regulating flows of immigration of Muslims, as national security. Trump also hopes to appoint Wichita Republican Mike Pompeo as CIA director and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, although Sessions’ history of racial insensitivity and avid rejection of prison reform have raised questions about his ability to properly represent the needs of Americans.  [spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

As for Hillary Clinton’s plans after her defeat, she is going to devote more time to her family and the Clinton foundation.  [spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Sources: Washington Post, CBS News, Chicago Tribune, CNN, The Week, USA Today, NBC News, NPR

Photo Source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_House_DC.JPG