The outlook for America looks grim, but that could quickly change

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This will help lower the temperature of American politics, which could open other possibilities. By working with Republicans eager for Congress to get things done, Mr Biden may yet be able to pass an infrastructure bill and something on climate change, as well as his covid-19 package. In textbooks, democracy involves solving problems through compromise and managing conflict in elections. With a president inclined to build a coalition (联合，结合), a little of that spirit might return to Washington. Voters may even prefer it to 24-hour partisan (党派的；效忠的) warfare (战争，冲突).

That is what needs to happen. America faces challenges that require the government to help, not just get out of the way. America has done a worse job of keeping schools open in the past year than any other rich country (see article). Enrolments have fallen, suggesting that many children have dropped out of education. Higher death rates for African-Americans and Hispanics are a reminder that health is linked to skin colour. Four years of Donald Trump have hollowed out (挖空) institutions and weakened constraints on malfeasance (渎职，违法行为；不正当). His parting (离别，分开) act was to pardon a doctor convicted of profiting from carrying out unnecessary eye treatment on hundreds of elderly patients. He rescinded his own executive order which would have stopped his administration’s officials working as lobbyists.

The past four years have also created a problem for America abroad. At the back of their minds (在他们的内心深处), foreign leaders know that the forces which brought Mr Trump to office could return with a future president, so any agreements American diplomats (外交官) make risk seeming temporary. Mr Biden’s foreign policy will also require a series of impossibly hard trade-offs (权衡). His team needs the co-operation of the Russian government to sign an extension of the New start treaty on nuclear weapons, which expires (到期) on February 5th. Yet that same government has just locked up Russia’s most prominent opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, after first attempting to kill him (see Leader). They need China’s co-operation on climate change, even though China is engaged in what the outgoing administration has just labelled as “genocide” against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Tricky corners in the Oval Office

A lot could go wrong. Senate Republicans may oppose everything Mr Biden suggests simply because he is a Democrat. The left of his party may turn sour (令人失望；不受欢迎, 变酸) on him for trying to make deals with Republicans. Politics has been simple during the Trump administration, which more often governed by inflaming (激怒；使燃烧) partisan ( 党派的；效忠的) fights than fixing America’s problems. Engaging with reality (融入现实) is much harder—especially when you are buffeted (打击) by events.

To have the best chance of success, Mr Biden should stick to his folksy (有民间风味的；和气的) brand of dogged (顽强的；顽固的) centrism (温和主义，中间路线) which is so well suited to the moment. Western allies (同盟国) should be patient and not expect a miraculous overnight transformation. The return of restraint to the White House will be only the first step in a long journey, but it is a necessary one for America’s renewal (更新，恢复，革新) (白宫恢复克制将只是漫长旅程中的第一步，但对于美国的复兴来说，这是必要的一步).

See you tomorrow