Trump and accusations of fraud .. 10 questions explain the impact of skepticism in the elections on the model of American democracy

For nearly two and a half centuries, the United States has established itself as a global model for democratic elections;

However, with the controversy surrounding the 2020 elections, and President Donald Trump's continued refusal to accept its result;

Many commentators consider that the experience of this year's presidential elections has inflicted much damage on the credibility of American democracy at the domestic level, and on the image and position of the United States around the world, while others believe that the experience of 2020 confirmed the resilience of American democracy in the face of the most extreme scenarios.

Al-Jazeera Net presents in the form of a question and answer the nature and the reasons for these unprecedented challenges.

Why have doubts increased about the American democracy model?

President Donald Trump's rejection of the 2020 election results, allegations of widespread fraud and election theft from him;

To the increasing doubts about the American electoral process, and prompted the complexities of the presidential election process, the length of its procedures and its multiple steps, and the great pivotal role of each state in multiplying these doubts;

Because of the crisis caused by Trump's unprecedented accusations.

How America's competitors used the 2020 elections to undermine the democratic model?

Many regimes in the world, especially in China and Russia, are propagating that America's democracy has been marred by anomalies, as they repeat what Trump claims of "the occurrence of a lot of fraud and theft of votes."

Many countries are promoting that the liberal democratic representative system is no longer valid for complex developed societies, especially in light of the great acceleration in the use of technological applications.

The strength and rise of the Chinese model based on the equation of economic achievement with the absence of political freedoms or a competitive election mechanism is being cited.

How has President Trump over the past four years harmed America's democracy?

American democracy has come under unprecedented attack in the last four years with a president tending to authoritarian populism, however, Trump's efforts to undermine the system have come with great, albeit unintended, benefit.

Trump showed the hidden cracks that have always existed in American democracy, and revealed them for all to see, and for those interested in ways to improve the performance of this democracy in the future, observers say.

But how does all of the above affect America's image abroad?

Commentators scrambled to confirm that America's image was shaken around the world.

But others see the opposite, and consider that the 2020 elections provided a unique lesson for democracy and its steadfastness as the best system of government in the face of a ruler who does not care about laws, political traditions, or the wishes of the voters.

They consider that, in light of the worst scenarios imaginable in the president's rejection of the election results, despite all the legal and constitutional powers that this president enjoys until the end of his term, he cannot change these results in the face of the rule of law, the sanctity of the constitution, and the respect of the voters' wishes.

Will the 2020 elections affect the legitimacy of President Joe Biden?

Elections gain legitimacy because citizens choose their rulers, and in the past disputed elections did not badly damage the fabric of American democracy;

Because the rules for handling these disputes, which arise from the elections, are in place, and they have been followed;

However, an opinion poll conducted after the 2020 elections indicates that more than 70% of Republicans believe that the elections were rigged, but that this will not affect the legitimacy of President Joe Biden's rule.

The rule of law, how do you support US democratic courts?

There is a debate about the politicization of the judiciary;

However, this proposition can be understood in relation to social issues that may influence the religious beliefs of judges, as is the case in cases of abortion or same-sex marriage.

But the matter is completely different in the case of political cases, especially with regard to elections, and the courts, especially the Supreme Court, try to distance themselves from election cases, which they consider a purely political matter subject to the wishes of the voters.

Trump has appointed the largest number of federal judges in recent history, and has also appointed 3 Supreme Court judges;

However, the judiciary stands, rejecting all its pressure to change the election results, and the failure has become a huge headline for Trump's attempts to politicize the judiciary in his favor, the latest of which is the Supreme Court's decision, which dropped a lawsuit brought by Republicans to nullify the election results in 4 states.

Can Trump tamper with the constitution?

Neither Trump nor any American president can change the constitutional articles, and although the constitution grants the president broad powers;

One of them is that he is the supreme commander of the armed forces, enabling him to launch a nuclear attack on Russia, China, or any other country. Trump cannot introduce any amendment to the constitution to grant him broader powers or greater duties.

Hence, the president stands helpless in front of sacred constitutional texts that he does not dare to request amendments from his party, despite his complete control over him at an exceptional moment in American history, and the constitution prohibits the president completely from proposing any laws or procedures related to the presidential elections or the powers of the president.

The constitution was clear through the amendment (20), stating that "the term of office of the president and vice president shall end on January 20, even if no elections are held due to force majeure."

Does President Trump have any alternatives to the rejection of the majority of voters?

President Trump has no choice but to actually accept the election results, which indeed happened.

The process of transferring power officially began from the competent government agencies.

Trump may still turn him down for reasons related to him;

But that rejection has no value.

Apart from Trump's position, the process of officially ratifying the state’s election results began, and ends December 8, then members of the electoral college in their states meet to formally name the president and vice president on December 14, and Congress adopts these results, and Biden will appoint a new president on January 20. /January.

With Biden's inauguration approaching, expectations are that the number of Republicans who consider him an illegitimate president will shrink (French)

Can what some see as flaws in American democracy revealed by the 2020 elections?

After the crisis and the "Watergate scandal", which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974, Congress adopted a list of reforms to prevent a new president from violating the law. The Government Ethics Laws and the War Powers Act were adopted.

There is talk now about the need to reform the federal election laws.

The 2020 elections revealed that letting each state run its own elections creates public confusion;

This allows the losing candidate to claim victory despite his defeat in the elections.

Some suggest adopting new systems that facilitate automatic voter registration, which would broaden the scope of participation while ensuring a strong database to deter any attempts to fake voter identity.

Some demand that states should be motivated to impose similar standards so that the rules and procedures for the election process in states do not differ widely, which leads to complicating the election process and complicating the understanding of American citizens about it, not to mention the rest of the world.

Will Biden's legitimacy continue to be questioned?

Perhaps as the weeks pass by, and Biden's inauguration approaches, the number of Republicans who consider him illegitimate will shrink.

But it seems unlikely that Trump will relinquish his allegations and establish the myth of "stealing the elections from him". Trump's position adds pressure on American democracy, which cannot be easily contained.