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How did we end up with a reality TV star and con-man as president?
The election of Donald Trump is the end result of a long process that has been unfolding over decades. It's not something that happened overnight, but rather a trend which was built up gradually and it took people years to notice what was happening.
What happened was that a sustained effort was made to undo the legacy of the New Deal and Great Society, which created a large middle class in America. The creation of this middle class led to a new kind of political culture in America.
A new kind of politics was born, which emphasized civil rights and inclusiveness for all Americans. This was a dramatic change from the past when women and blacks were excluded from full participation in society.
But the new politics was not welcomed by everyone. A backlash occurred that targeted those gains in civil rights. The backlash took several forms, such as when some states refused to comply with federal laws to protect blacks from lynching and voting discrimination.
The backlash against civil rights was successful, and by the 1990s voters began electing politicians who opposed civil rights. The election of these political leaders led to a series of major changes that have created the circumstances in which Trump could become president.
The first change was that the New Deal and Great Society safety net programs were dismantled. The dismantling began with changes in welfare but continued through many other social programs.