Many officials in DC are acutely aware of the idea that community and social relationships are crucial in efforts to be truly representative of all people relevant to a controversial political issue. But, the single leading figure of that city and this country has us asking if he is the only one unaware of this. A Huffington post article recounts President Trump, Senator Schumer, and Speaker Pelosi's interaction regarding the border wall and the government shutdown, in which Schumer claims Trump is "using people as leverage" and asks Trump why he won't "open the government and stop hurting people," to which Trump responded "because then you won't give me what I want," ([1]). Trump's ignorance both to Democrats' political opinions and to the way he is treating Mexicans on the other side of the border prove the ineffectiveness of ignoring relationships and the resulting lack of representation for either side. Without acknowledging that within a social construct, there will be some disagreement and opinions that will have to be ceded in light of a group not being rightfully represented, political gridlock is a guaranteed effect. Similarly, unrepresented are hundreds of thousands of federal employees who, as "Trump stands firm on not reopening the government until he receives funding for the border wall,...remain furloughed," ([2]). Contentious issues (including the one at hand) are prevalent in democratic governments, for without disagreement and an eventual reconciliation of issues, the American people would be disproportionately represented. But by letting a contentious issue affect the functioning of the government, Trump has also ignored federal employees working for the government. Those employees are currently either working without pay or not being able to make money at all, and Trump's idea of using these communities of people as a bargaining chip for the other side to agree to his policies is undemocratic, if not dictatorial. Trump's ignorance regarding differing opinions on controversial issues suppresses the representation of both Democrats and federal employees, as Trump doesn't acknowledge the inherent social relationships between two political parties in government. And, without acknowledging the constitutionally established sectors of government that constitute a democracy, by claiming he has absolute right to use his order, his word as the word of action in the midst of one of the most contentious political debates, Trump is sacrificing the United States' fundamental, 243-year-old democratic values in efforts to preserve his own power.

[2] - 01/11/19 version