America is all set for its upcoming presidential election scheduled on November 3. Donald Trump and Joe Biden emerge as the lead candidate from National Convention held by the Republican and the Democratic party respectively.
The US election is through indirect method wherein people vote for the electoral college consisting of members of the house of representatives and house of senates which in turn elect the President and the Vice President.
Why is US Presidential election important?
It is no mystery that the President of the United States has a considerable impact on global relations and diplomacy. America is one of the economically strong nation dictating most aspect of Globalisation. Thus, every country with bilateral or multilateral relations to America is watching out for the presidential elections.
Two-Party System:
The USA is dominated by the two-Party system, unlike India, which functions on a multi-party arrangement. The two major parties are Republican and Democratic.
The Republicans follow the conservative policy of strengthening the nations from within, with recent policies of restrictions over immigrants, support for lower taxes, gun rights, pro-capitalism. The Incumbent President is contesting from Republican with his running mate Mike Pence.
The Democrats, on the other hands, are considered to be liberals. Their ideologies often include civil rights, immigration & multiculturalism, climate change, egalitarianism, to name a few. Joe Biden, often called as Barak Obama’s right hand is the candidate of Democrats with Kamala Harris, his running mate. Notably, she is announced as the first Indian origin nominee by Democrats for Vice Presidential post.
Trump administration: setbacks in successes
In the American Presidential system, a president can have two terms; hence Donald Trump become eligible to be a candidate. Trump administration began after Republicans big win in 2016 on the lines “America for Americans” or “America First” thereby mobilizing on account of identity or nationalism. However, his administration faced many backlashes; they are:
- Corporate Tax Reforms: In his tenure, the parliament passed the historic corporate tax that reduced taxation from 35 per cent to 21 per cent. However, critics called it a way to feed the corporates at the expense of the middle class.
- Paris Peace Treaty: The departure of the US from the Paris Climate Accord is an achievement for its economic disadvantages to the coal industry. However, if developed countries stopped adhering the climate accords, it will inspire other nations to opt-out and run the economy on the cost of the environment.
- Immigration: On Immigration reforms, he issued an order banning travel from seven majority-Muslim countries to the USA. He planned to reduce the number of refugees in the country. However, Federal court intervened after which, fewer immigrant visas are allotted with several restrictions.
Concerning Trump wall, he campaigned “to make bigger walls on Mexican borders and make them pay for it.” However, the claim is not a reality yet as the project is in its premature status. He requested the parliament to restrict all immigrants from receiving welfare on the failure presenting of documentation. His draconian defiance towards immigrants has increased violence and hatred against them. Democrats have ridiculed these policies and have questioned over the security of multicultural people in America. - Coronavirus Pandemic: America, having one of the best healthcare, is currently the biggest hit and hub of COVID-19 pandemic. Oppositions blame Trump for not handling the situation well. Initially, Trump himself refused to acknowledge the existence of the virus, which eventually lead to 7.06 million cases and more than 2 lakh deaths. The effects of the pandemic will play a key critic in the election.
Another uproar within the pandemic was George Floyd protest. He was a black hip hop artist who was killed by a white police officer. This led to “Black Lives Matter” protest in America, and soon the world joined in. The cold reaction from Trump and his government over the same will have a consequence from Black votes.
Joe Biden’s Promises: Reverse the Trump Card
“I’ll be an ally of the light, not the darkness,” said Biden in Democratic National Convention. An active member of the American politics since the 1970s, a moderate leader on his ideological stance, the democratic party nominee, Biden wants to undo the Trump-Tyranny of 4 years.
His promises include better handling of the pandemic by providing free test and hiring 1 lakh people to set up national virus tracing programme. The leaders of congress often seen violating pandemic guidelines; he would inculcate stringent rules. By using the Defence Production Act, Biden will increase the development of medical supplies to meet the high demand.
With reversing the Trump card, Biden wants America back into global cooperation and summits. As a Democratic leader, he would seek a re-entry in the climate accords and invest more in green technology. He believes that “The future of America shouldn’t suffer because of the present condition of America.”
Another important promise of Biden is focusing on free education for colleges and universities, as they are tediously expensive in America. He seeks for more robust health care insurance coverage by cutting down on military expenditure which was increased by threefold in Trump government.
India’s Concerns:
The ongoing trade war between US-China has affected the world. India roots for a president best for the American nation and Indian relations. The Trump-Modi duo saw a surge in bilateral matters of health care, technology, manufacturing, military and others.
American-Indian standpoint could reduce Chinese influence on the global economy. Biden- Harris pair has been supportive of Indian trade-commerce. However, if elected, we may see a concern over Kashmir as Kamala Harris has been outspoken on the human rights issue of J&K.
The national polls by several media see a tough tussle between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Nonetheless, popular polls don’t matter as it is the electoral college which decides the President. With the recent death of Ruth Ginsburg, a harsh critic of Trump government, one has to wait and watch for America’s fate.
