The One Big Beautiful Bill Act: A Tale of Polarization
By: Catherine L’Helias
A Brief History of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Growing Concerns
Political polarization is an increasingly alarming issue within the United States, amongst both politicians and the American public (Russell 2024). Politicians face ideological polarization, characterized by the belief in and support of policies that see little overlap between parties; whereas, everyday Americans grapple with emotional polarization, harboring strong feelings of distrust and dislike for members of their opposing party (Kleinfeld, 2023, pp. 2-3). On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). OBBA, when first introduced, was presented to the American public as a fulfillment of many of the promises President Trump made during his time campaigning. Trump’s OBBBA is a sweeping piece of legislation that reaches multiple sectors of the U.S. government and public life, from large tax cuts to a dramatic increase in defense spending (The White House). While many would argue the greatest issues born from the new legislation revolve around its long list of provisions, the more pressing concern seems to be its implications for the state of polarization in the United States. Through the passing and signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump administration has aided in driving further divide between Democrats and Republicans, which, through indirect means, calls into question the security of the future of American democracy and liberal democracies as a whole.
Problematic Beginnings and Polarizing Effects
Congress’ passing of OBBBA was immediately a controversial act, not only because of what the bill contains, but also because of the manner in which it was passed. OBBBA falls into the category of a reconciliation bill, governed by Byrd Rules. The process of reconciliation hastens the passage of legislation impacting the national budget, through which allotted Senate debate time is limited to 20 hours (effectively negating the risk of a filibuster) and simple majority rules (USAFacts 2025). With the Republican Party currently holding 220 House of Representatives seats and 53 Senate seats, it has a simple majority when compared to the Democratic Party’s respective 213 and 47 seats. Many argue that the reconciliation process opens the door for highly ideological legislation and can cause public opinion to sway in the opposite direction of the ruling party when it perceives extremism, further dividing parties. Similarly, the media tends to emphasize the partisanship of such bills, pushing a belief that reconciliation represents a party –in this case, the Republican party prioritizing its agenda above all else (Paz 2025); this belief further cements the public's idea of ideological polarization, leading to an increase in emotional polarization as well.
Between the time of OBBBA’s official signing in and the months that have since passed, there has been a growing reluctance amongst Democrats and Republicans to work together and compromise on significant legislative decisions. A pertinent example of this is the recent government shutdown, which began at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2025. Instigated by Democratic lawmakers’ refusal to approve a funding bill that would not roll back OBBBA’s funding cuts to healthcare subsidies such as Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (The Conference Board 2025), the government shutdown negatively impacts government functions (such as national parks), essential workers and even everyday Americans (Beauchamp 2025). The shutdown’s impact on Americans’ trust in their government –while not yet seen-– will inevitably also be overwhelmingly negative, as was seen with previous shutdowns under the likes of Presidents Trump, Obama and Clinton (Wessel 2025). A lack of trust in the government contributes to the polarization of the public. Although many citizens blame both political parties equally, others tend to blame their opposing party for such shutdowns, contributing to the “us versus them” mentality that currently holds firm in civic life.
The Death of Democracy?
Globally, a link between polarization and autocratization can be observed. In nations such as Brazil, an increase in polarization preceded the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. The far-right activists of the nation mobilized in favor of autocratization, leading to a decrease in its LDI (Liberal Democracy Index) score (V-Dem Institute 2023). Like Brazil, the U.S. risks autocratization if the ongoing polarization remains unchecked. However, in the midst of this wave of polarization that has taken hold of American politics in recent years, it is important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. Polarization is not a guarantee of democratic backsliding. Rather, polarization is usually an effect of an already autocratizing nation (Mehlhaff 2024). Nevertheless, there is still reason for concern surrounding the increased U.S. polarization caused by OBBBA when accounting for the authoritarian shift seen in Trump’s presidency. Following a path similar to that of Hungary’s Authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Trump can be observed enforcing censorship (such as his attempted removal of Late Night Show host Jimmy Kimmel following controversial comments made in relation to the Charlie Kirk assassination), the purging of civil servants from government agencies, the bullying of top educational institutions and more typically autocratic practices (Beauchamp 2025). Trump’s authoritarian methods prove to be statistically significant as well, with scholars giving American democracy a rating of 67 before the start of Trump’s second term and a much lower rating of 55 only weeks after he was sworn into office (Langfitt 2025). In short, the increase in U.S. polarization following the signing in of OBBBA is not only symptomatic of democratic decline, but is also indirectly contributing to it by further aiding in the Trump administration’s consolidation of power and ability to distract the public from its increasingly autocratic nature.
A New Political Era Emerging
The polarization of the United States people and politicians may be the greatest issue facing the nation today. Under the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, U.S. Congressional procedure, trust in government and politicians, government effectiveness and the state of American democracy have all begun to crumble before the eyes of the public and officials alike. Once considered a hegemony, liberal democracy’s backsliding in the U.S. has opened the door to competitive authoritarianism, which threatens global superpowers and developing nations alike. Evidently, OBBBA is not merely representative of changes in funding and policy, but of the structuring of the “American way” as well. Only time will tell if this trend of polarization, in part brought on by OBBBA, as well as the authoritarianism that has seemingly taken hold of modern America, will continue to rise. In the meantime, it is up to the Trump ddministration, Democrats, Republicans and the state as a whole to take the crucial next steps in determining the future of American and liberal democracy.
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