W ith the election over, there is finally a moment when both major political parties can examine their current standings and future paths. What is so fascinating about the 2016 election is that the Republican Party was not expected to win the presidency nor retain the Senate; some even speculated the House of Representatives was in jeopardy. Yet in a shocking manner, the Republican Party kept both houses of Congress and recaptured the presidency. When the new administration and a new Congress are sworn in this January, Republicans will control the White House, Congress, 33 governorships and have full legislative control in 32 states. That is a remarkable gain in a time when the Republican Party was said to be in deep trouble with the American electorate. Just a few months ago, many questioned the relevancy of the party — often predicting a complete reform of the right side of the political aisle. Yet the opposite happened; momentum since the 2010 midterms has carried the Republican Party to historic levels of power. Despite these victories, the GOP still needs to remain focused. By keeping their eye on both future electoral strategies and upcoming policy opportunities, the party is poised to solidify its control on the nation’s institutions for the next decade. In terms of electoral strategy, Republicans certainly have much to be optimistic about. Trump was able to win over 300 electoral votes; he outperformed with Latinos and women and unexpectedly mobilized turnout in Rust Belt states. However, the party cannot take these gains for granted. In future elections, the GOP needs to remain focused on continually expanding our party. While we made inroads with minorities, we still have plenty of room to grow. We need to prove to the Midwestern working class, many of whom were Democrats who voted for Trump, that the GOP is the party that truly represents them. This election gives us the opportunity to shed the wrongly applied labels of corporatist elites and gives us a path to prove that we have the policies that actually help American lives. In addition to successful outreach to different groups of people, the party’s bench is also strong. While many ridiculed the nomination processes for having so many candidates, it proves that we have youth in the party that will eventually be able to lead. Look at Congress, for example. Members like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Utah Rep. Mia Love and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst are stars within the party and they have the power to continue the party’s momentum in upcoming elections. But in order to remain electorally successful, we need to succeed on policy. If the GOP doesn’t follow through on many of its promises, this will be a wasted opportunity. Whether it be repealing and replacing Obamacare, securing the border, reforming the tax code or appointing very conservative Supreme Court justices, the party will match the left’s course of achieving little if it doesn’t implement significant changes to current policy, if not replace policies entirely. In my opinion, as a conservative Republican, we cannot miss out on the chance to implement new policies. Every dollar taken out of my small paycheck makes a difference. A simpler, reformed tax system would go a long way to help out students across the country. Repealing and replacing Obamacare would jumpstart the hiring market, as many businesses have cut hours to get around certain Obamacare requirements. As a millennial who has experienced this phenomenon personally — a cut in my hours and pay because of new Obamacare regulations — I believe the GOP has so much potential to both help the country through its policies and solidify a moderate portion of the electorate. The Republican Party also has a rare opportunity to reshape the political debate. Hopefully, the party will be able to shift the nation’s attention toward economic and international issues. Moving away from many social issues will allow the party to put forth solutions on the issues that matter more to those on the right. The party, by maintaining a commitment to promised policy changes, can potentially solidify a voting bloc by restructuring the importance of different political issues with many different groups, especially students and younger people who are fiscally conservative and socially moderate. This said, one major question that remains is that of which path the party should take in the coming years. Does the party become more moderate on social issues in hopes of solidifying a large proportion of the youth that considers itself Libertarian? Do Trump’s nationalist views take over and remain a constant driver of policy for the foreseeable future? Or does Reagan’s party return to his principles and move farther to the right? It’s impossible to predict which path we will take. It will become clearer, however, as Trump implements his policies. Without clear proposals, it’s anyone’s guess as to what type of Republican he chooses to be, and if the party as a whole chooses to follow him. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the Republican Party is not as weak as many predicted before the election. With dominant control over America’s institutions and the potential for the implementation of solid policies, the Republican Party seems poised to be the party of the future. Opinion The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com 4 — Tuesday, December 6, 2016 DAPL— what you can do CHASE STONE | OP-ED E arly Sunday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the easement permit for construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline would be denied, temporarily halting construction by Energy Transfer Partners. The corps will now perform an environmental impact statement in the coming months, though President- elect Donald Trump’s administration will present inevitable challenges to environmental protection, specifically for the DAPL. In the wake of the permit denial, many of us will ask: Is this the end of the DAPL? And, frankly, how can we doing anything about it, 1,000 miles away in Ann Arbor? I’m a graduate student at the School of Natural Resources and Environment and a graduate student instructor for the Honors Program. Since September, I’ve been co-producing a feature documentary film called “Standing Ground” on the DAPL with director Raviv Ullman and producers Martin Spanjers and Jordan Harkins. Each of us are unaffiliated with the Standing Rock Sioux; however, we gained support from more than 800 individuals on Kickstarter to help us cover the DAPL protest on film. My responsibilities include managing research projects, summarizing environmental policies, sourcing interviews and relaying newsworthy updates. But, despite all the time I’ve spent devoted to the DAPL documentary this semester, I freely admit: I’ve never even been to Standing Rock or set foot in North Dakota. At Michigan, many of us are informed by the books we read, people we talk to and the geographic location we live in. Some of us spend our days in lab mixing solvents and others pore over Excel spreadsheets; but no matter what we’re doing, the time we have on our hands right now can be just as impactful outside the classroom as inside it. We have no shortage of students devoted to their studies, well deserving of the “Leaders and the Best” moniker. Similar to my peers, the time I’ve spent on the documentary has been productive, but has incurred costs: I’ve gotten more Bs and Cs this semester than ever, I average five to six hours of sleep most nights, and lately, I’ve forgone most solid food in favor of Soylent because I’m too busy to cook. However, I’ve also been one of the first people outside Standing Rock to see the footage of water cannons being sprayed at protesters and share it with the world. I’ve connected with artists, Congress members and activists; I’ve written fact-checks to the Los Angeles Times, learned how to treat mace in the eyes (use milk) and inquired at least once about purchasing “drone insurance” (yes, it exists). So, when the Army Corps released its statement on Sunday, despite being cautiously optimistic, for the first time, I got to share the taste of a small victory along with many others, but more specifically, a victory belonging to the tribes. Over the next six to 18 months, the predicted time period for the Army Corps’ Enivornmental Impact Statement to take place on the DAPL, consider your potential role — not just on this issue, necessarily, but in the context of the world. Dropping out of school is reserved for geniuses beginning their tech startup. Maybe instead, consider dropping your six-week internship to do something you’re actually called to do. My roommate’s father — a Michigan alum — once built a sailboat in the 1970s to travel around the world over summer break. He later became successful as a financial adviser. My point is that one’s “professional” identity is not one’s main identity — and that’s the reason why I am doing what I’m doing now. It is increasingly apparent that students feel pressure to find a job and a set of skills, or else they will lose out on something, when in fact, it might be the opposite. The Army Corps’ Enivornmental Impact Statement may or may not be favorable to the Standing Rock Sioux, and whether you are for the pipeline or against it, what is important is that no one stands complacent. LAURA SCHINAGLE Managing Editor 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. SHOHAM GEVA Editor in Chief CLAIRE BRYAN and REGAN DETWILER Editorial Page Editors Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Carolyn Ayaub Claire Bryan Regan Detwiler Brett Graham Caitlin Heenan Jeremy Kaplan Ben Keller Minsoo Kim Madeline Nowicki Anna Polumbo-Levy Jason Rowland Ali Safawi Kevin Sweitzer Rebecca Tarnopol Ashley Tjhung Stephanie Trierweiler EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Chase Stone is a second year graduate student at the School of Natural Resources and Enviornment. Max Rysztak can be reached at mrysztak@umich.edu The future of the GOP MAX RYSZTAK | COLUMN MAX RYSZTAK FROM THE DAILY Block DeVos’ appointment O n Nov. 23, President-elect Donald Trump officially announced his nomination for secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, sparking fierce criticisms from proponents of public education — including residents of Michigan, where the issue of public education is in need of so much attention. During her time as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, DeVos fiercely championed the notion of schools of choice and student voucher programs, which funnel government funds initially set aside for public schools toward private and charter schools. DeVos seems to be blind to the fact that in her home state of Michigan, privatization programs have historically failed to reform education systems in cities such as Detroit and Flint. Despite clear evidence of the charter school sytem’s failures to provide equal education opportunities for all students, she and her family donated to the GOP after the Republican-led State Senate approved pro-charter school legislation. Considering this, as well as her lack of experience, The Michigan Daily’s Editorial Board opposes her appointment as secretary of education. But should she be voted in, we believe DeVos must take a critical look at the reality of Michigan school systems, consider the role and purpose public schools serve in the United States and reexamine the effectiveness of her proposals in Michigan before implementing similar programs nationwide. The Department of Education’s mission statement to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access” must apply to all U.S. citizens, not just those who already have access to quality education. Currently, while a schools of choice system in which families can have the option to send their child to charter schools in theory provides more opportunity, oftentimes it benefits wealthier families because they can afford to drive their child to a better school option. In turn, this leaves public schools and poorer families in a worse financial state. If DeVos becomes head of this department, she must uphold the mission statement and consciously design an educational system that provides resources for every student’s success. Additionally, though charter schools have had success in Michigan, according to a Detroit Free Press report, charter schools are only marginally better than public schools. It’s alarming that despite the large failures of schools of choice in Michigan, DeVos has championed these initiatives as some of the best. DeVos should consider the implications her proposed policies will have on areas of lower socioeconomic status. In particular, DeVos staunchly supports expanding the student voucher system that currently exists in 13 states and Washington D.C. On the campaign trail, Trump proposed delegating $20 billion in federal funds to school choice vouchers for K-12 students. As secretary of education, DeVos would spearhead the implementation of this flawed solution to failing public schools. Despite the good intentions of voucher programs giving students opportunities to attend better schools, programs like these are risky because they channel money away from public schools, leading to a lack of quality education. For some families, transporting their children to a school outside their immediate district is an onerous task. For other families, charter schools don’t align with their values: Private and charter schools can be privately funded, and therefore are sometimes religiously affiliated. Students from low socioeconomic status families already face significant disadvantages in quality of available public education, because communities with lower socioeconomic status cannot always provide adequate funding for educational resources. By implementing schools of choice and an expansive private education system, DeVos could not guarantee students from underprivileged backgrounds would receive a better education with her plan than from their local public schools. While the effort to transition students from public schools to charter schools embodies a needed spirit of reform in education policy, DeVos’s current plans for the proliferation of charter schools would fail to produce the quality education that is desperately needed. Private- sector schools are largely unregulated by or accountable to the U.S. government, and create their own educational and teaching standards. The sheer lack of transparency in the standards being set is problematic, and poses significant challenges to reforming the U.S. education system. These scenarios are not theoretical; this is the reality for the Detroit area. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board opposes DeVos’s appointment and urges voters and Michigan senators Debbie Stabenow (D) and Gary Peters (D) to get involved and take action. As voters, we must call our senators — whether we are in-state or out-of-state students — and voice our opposition to DeVos’s confirmation. Michigan senators should take a close look at DeVos’s plans and how they are operating already and vote for the people. And if DeVos does become secretary of education, we implore her as well as ask others to ask her to take a better look at charter schools and privatization of education in Michigan. ANNIE TURPIN | CONTACT ANNIE AT ASTURPIN@UMICH.EDU CHASE STONE In my opinion, as a conserative Republican, we cannot miss out on the chance to implement new policies. “Holiday spending”