Voting in a US聽presidential candidate who can manage聽America鈥檚 fragile social fabric and foreign policy聽has never been more聽important.
BACKGROUND
Given the drama that has unfolded in 2016, with talk of border聽, ,听听补苍诲听, it feels like the US presidential campaign has dragged on for far too long. Its end, however, is near. On November 8, Americans will vote for their 45th听辫谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟.
聽from the country鈥檚 two main political parties鈥攖he Republican Party and the Democratic Party鈥攂egan the race for the White House in 2015. Eighteen months on, the billionaire businessman Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee.
But how have both candidates fared thus far?
Trump and Clinton are two of the聽聽in US electoral history. According to聽, around 15% of the electorate support third-party candidates like the Libertarian Party鈥檚 Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein, or remain undecided. Convincing the undecided voters is crucial for Trump and Clinton as both candidates battle each other in a tight race.
Why Does The US Presidential Election Matter?
The US election matters as it is a global election. What happens in America in November has the potential to send ripple effects around the world.
In the US, voter turnout is a major concern, and decreasing turnout rates over the last two election cycles seem to indicate high聽levels of聽political apathy. According to a聽, voter turnout dived from 62.3% of eligible voters in 2008 to an estimated 57.5% in 2012. In November,听it is hoped that voter turnout will be better as the stakes have never been higher.
Domestically, all eyes will be on how President Barack Obama鈥檚 successor will deal with the United States鈥� fragile social fabric: heightened racial tensions, police brutality, Islamophobia and gun violence are just some of the issues that have plagued the country in recent years. Obama鈥檚 legacy has been tainted by the lack of a cohesive, firm approach to heal some of these wounds.
Internationally, the world has been paying close attention to what American leadership in global affairs might look like under a Trump or Clinton administration.聽It can be argued that the Republican presidential primaries brought the US election into global focus, simply due to the candidates鈥� .
The views of both presidential candidates on issues like climate change and trade deals have caused much apprehension among US allies. To Trump,听. Clinton, meanwhile, has withdrawn her support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which she previously declared to be for international trade agreements. This has brought聽the US pivot to Asia to a slight halt as the聽TPP聽was seen as an integral part of .
If Trump becomes president, America would be entering uncharted territory. At the age of 71, Trump would be the oldest president with no prior experience in political office. His first 100 days at the White House might see him erasing the Obama administration鈥檚 legacy. He may even decide to suspend America鈥檚 participation in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, develop a , and his Islamophobic and misogynist comments might further divide communities within the US.
The Economist鈥檚 Intelligence Unit has also ranked the prospect of a Trump victory as聽. Trump is ranked riskier than Brexit or potential armed conflict over the South China Sea, sharing a rating with global jihadi terrorism.
On the flipside,听a聽Clinton presidency聽does not look significantly brighter. Her campaign has been marred by the now-聽that have led critics to question her lack of transparency. Clinton鈥檚聽聽has also been a source of concern on whether she is fit to be commander in chief, and her foreign policy track record is not as strong as everyone thinks.
Despite being the country鈥檚 , Clinton鈥檚 foreign policy career has been deemed a 鈥溾�� by Columbia University economist Jeffrey D. Sachs鈥攂ased on her 鈥渨ar approach鈥� toward America鈥檚 involvement in the Middle East and her .
While neither candidate is regarded as an overwhelming favorite,听the choice is a definitive one. Whom America decides聽to grant the power to shape its domestic policy and international affairs after January 2017 is anyone鈥檚 guess.
The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.
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