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The role of political parties in American politics 285

should these proposals be considered? Should the parties try to make a deal with

the president or with legislators from the other party? For example, after the 2016

election Republican congressional leaders met with President-elect Donald Trump

and his staff to discuss priorities for the 2017–2018 legislative term, including the

repeal of Obamacare, tax cuts, changes to immigration law and border security, and

increased funding for infrastructure projects. Some of these efforts were successful:

late in 2017, Congress enacted tax reform legislation that reduced corporate and

individual tax rates.

Yet the party in government can act collectively this way only when its members

can agree on what they want. Such agreement is not always possible or may require

extensive negotiation and compromise. Even with unified Republican control of

Congress, legislators were unable to agree on immigration reform, Obamacare repeal,

or infrastructure spending. Part of the problem was the narrow Republican majority in

the Senate, yet the deeper issue was splits in Republican ranks that would have made

compromise difficult even if Republicans had held a larger majority.

Coordination Political parties play an important role in coordinating the actions

taken in different branches of government. Such coordination is extremely important

for enacting new laws, because, unless supporters in Congress can amass a two-

thirds majority to override a veto, they need the president’s support. Similarly, the

president needs congressional support to enact the proposals he or she favors. To

these ends, the president routinely meets with congressional leaders from his or her

party and occasionally meets with the entire caucus or conference. Various members

of the president’s staff also meet with House and Senate members to present the

president’s proposals and to hear what members of Congress from both parties

want to enact.

During 2017 and 2018, President Trump held many meetings with Republican

members of Congress to lobby them to support his proposals for tax cuts and

immigration reform. Trump was successful on tax reform, although the final package

was modified to gain the last few Republican votes in the Senate. On immigration

Within the government, politicians

from the same party work together

to develop an agenda and try to get it

enacted. Here, President Trump meets

with Republican leaders of the House

and Senate at the beginning of his

first term.

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