On Tuesday, November 3rd, people across the world sat anxiously awaiting the results of the 2020 US presidential election. The race was tight, with battleground states such as Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia switching between red and blue so frequently that it was hard to tell who would emerge victorious. However, after three days of counting votes, Joe Biden won the electoral college (and the popular vote), securing his position as the new President-elect of the United States of America.
The aftermath of a presidential election is always confusing - what exactly does the outcome mean for the United States? Below, we’ve outlined a few basic things to understand about the new President-elect, Joe Biden.
The Political Spectrum - Where Does Biden Fit?
Despite being a member of the Democratic Party, Biden still leans more right within the Democrat umbrella, labelling himself as “center-left”. Though labelling politicians as strictly “left” or “right” can increase polarization, it’s important not to overgeneralize the Democratic Party and understand the differences that exist between Democratic politicians.
So, though the United States is now functioning under a Democratic government, that does not mean that it is “far-left” or “socialist”, as many people falsely believe. Additionally, though Biden is under the same party as Bernie Sanders, it is important to note how different their ideologies are and to not assume that they are the same.
The Justice System - Where Does Biden Stand?
Joe Biden has been criticized for his previous “tough on crime” policies (In 1994, he wrote the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which disproportionately affected Black and Brown Americans), but he has since publicly vowed to stray from those beliefs. Instead, Biden has now pledged to reduce incarceration, invest in rehabilitation programs for former prisoners, and address racial disparities in the justice system. He has called for a $300m investment into a community-based policing program following the nation-wide protests against police brutality, despite the fact that he has also stated that he is against defunding police.
However, it is important to remember that many previous politicians have also pledged to address these urgent issues, despite little progress being made. It’s crucial that the public continues to demand change and hold the US government accountable, as actions speak louder than words.
Climate Change - Reversing Previous Actions
During his presidency, Donald Trump boldly withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, an international agreement calling for the US to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Biden has pledged to rejoin the accord and invest in green technologies research, but many have criticized him for not being harsh enough.
This issue will definitely be one to watch during Biden’s presidency, as climate change continues to be one of the most pressing issues in the history of humankind. Biden must stick to his promises - the United States, being one of the largest nations, has a responsibility to act quickly and decisively on this problem.
Sexual Harassment - Holding Biden Accountable
Multiple women have come forward recently, alleging that Biden sexually assaulted/harassed them, or acted towards them in ways that made them feel uncomfortable. In 2019, Biden released a response video, stating that he will “be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future”. However, this has been highly criticized; Biden did not actually own up to his behaviour and did not express regret or apologize to the women he has harmed.
The fact that a world leader has been accused of this behaviour is alarming - even more so considering that he has not explicitly apologized. Knowing this, we must continue to hold Biden accountable for his past behaviour and recognize the harm that he has inflicted on women, ensuring that this abuse of power does not continue during his presidency.
Political Polarization - 51.1% to 47.2%
Though Biden won both the electoral college and the popular vote, the race was extremely close, with Biden winning 51.1% of the popular vote, and Trump winning 47.2%. The United States currently suffers from extreme political polarization, and the fact that the race was so tight indicates that we are likely to see increases of that disconnect during Biden’s presidency.
Even as Canadians, we still are exposed to a large amount of information regarding US politics, since the US is arguably one of the most powerful/influential nations in the world. Therefore, it is crucial that we do not fall victim to increasingly biased media - the polarization that has struck America is likely to seep through into our media information, and we need to ensure that we are making our political decisions/constructing our beliefs based on accurate and trustworthy information.
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