For Biden, it’s a hard road ahead
The passage of the infra bill is good, but the Democrats face major political challenges
There is a deep domestic churn in the United States (US) — and this will have an impact on both the future of the US and its ability to compete with China. Two events of the past week illustrate the possibilities as well as the challenges that the Joe Biden administration confronts. The first is the passage of the $1-trillion infrastructure bill — after much internal discord between centrists and progressive within the Democrats. An even more ambitious social safety bill remains pending, but the infra bill, which had broad bipartisan support, will see a major investment in modernising roads and rails, bridges and ports, and enhancing virtual connectivity. The second development was the victory of a Republican candidate, Glenn Youngkin, in Virginia, ousting a Democratic governor. The Republicans tapped into rising discontent against inflation, a sense among swing voters that the Democrats weren’t delivering, Mr Biden’s plummeting popularity, and familiar culture wars. The defeat in Virginia added to a sense of urgency among Democrats to get united behind the infra bill.
Mr Biden, since assuming power, has articulated a fairly coherent worldview. He has argued that the US faces challenges at home — infrastructure is inadequate and crumbling, citizens find it hard to make ends meet, jobs need to be created, and the State has a responsibility to invest in both the physical and the care economy. This, he believes, will strengthen America domestically; send a message that democracies can deliver; and reduce the appeal of Rightwing demagogues. It will also create a stronger political and economic basis to compete with China. For India, a functional but also effective American democracy is good news.
But Mr Biden’s relatively sound diagnosis of what needs to be done has collided with messy political realities. His party is divided between the Left and centrists. There are powerful economic constituencies that don’t want an expansion in the State’s spending commitments, either because of an ideological obsession with small government or because it will also translate into higher taxes. The Republicans are keen to shift the conversation to manufactured grievances to tap into racist impulses, and are hoping to take over the House and the Senate next year, which will fragment power even more. Mr Biden has a tough year ahead. While the infra bill should give him hope, the Virginia loss should make him anxious about what lies ahead. The polarised American political landscape means that partners such as India will have to remain closely engaged with all sides of the US polity.