According to the United Nations, 2024 will be the “largest election year in human history” when half of the world’s population (approximately 3.7 billion people in 72 countries) will vote. But the world is watching as America goes to the polls, as some elections are more impactful than others.
The United States is the world’s largest economy and largest military power. But it is also the linchpin of many international strategic alliances, economic and financial systems, and many of the world’s liberal institutions.
These elections are a pivotal moment in American history, with potentially profound implications for how the country is governed and the future of the postwar order that Washington has helped create.
(Unlike any election since 1945, the fundamental tenets of the United States’ relationship with the rest of the world are at stake. The choice of President Donald Trump potentially marks a complete break with the United States’ role in the international community.)・The choice is between Trump’s Republican Party and the more international policies of Kamala Harris’ Democratic administration. Under Harris, the United States will continue to play an important role, for example in NATO. Very likely.
Tariffs on China
The most notable attack on America’s foreign policy tradition is President Trump’s plan to impose a universal 20% tariff on all foreign imports. Trump’s threat of 60% to 200% could make tariffs on China even higher. Such a move would not only cause inflation and damage the American economy, but could also spark retaliation, trade wars, and disruption to the global economy. Restricting access to the world’s largest domestic market would also hamper global efforts to transition to a zero-carbon economy.
But such issues have been raised by President Trump, who plans to reiterate Washington’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, repeal environmental protection measures put in place by Joe Biden, and authorize unrestricted development of U.S. oil and gas deposits. of little interest to. Deregulated fracking. If President Trump’s plan goes into effect, it would likely add massive amounts of carbon to the atmosphere and seriously undermine global efforts to combat climate change.
The 2024 election also centers on America’s efforts to protect its friends and allies from hostile nations. As a member of NATO, the United States is obligated to provide assistance to other member states in the event of an attack by another country under Article 5, and has similar treaties with Japan and South Korea. The Biden administration led NATO to support Ukraine with military and financial aid to prevent it from fully succumbing to Russian occupation.
By contrast, President Trump has indicated he intends to cut off this aid and pressure Kiev to accept peace on Russia’s terms. Rather than viewing alliance networks as a foundation of strength and influence, President Trump sees them as a source of risk and burden.
protect your friends
Many former officials, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton, have expressed concern that President Trump will withdraw from NATO in his second term or seek to weaken NATO’s effectiveness with lukewarm support. I suspect that it is. In Asia, President Trump recently said, “Taiwan should pay for its defense.” “You know, we’re no different than an insurance company,” suggesting a weakening of US commitment to the island.
For many observers, these elections are also important because the ability of the United States to hold free, fair, and uncontroversial elections and the peaceful transfer of power are in question. Since entering the Republican primary for the first time in 2016, Trump has never accepted the results of the election he lost.
What’s even more remarkable is that while he convinced a majority of Republican voters to side with him by claiming the 2020 election was stolen, only 3 believe the election was legitimate. That means it’s only 1/2 of that. When trust in the electoral process is so eroded, it’s hard to see how America can come together and govern after the election.
But for the Trump campaign, the answer to this question is already ready. Project 2025, a policy document prepared by a right-wing think tank, suggests that if he takes office, he would replace the top echelons of Washington’s bureaucracy with 50,000 officials loyal to him over the Constitution. It also suggests that the Trump administration will dismantle not only the FBI and the Federal Reserve, but also a myriad of federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, Department of Energy, and Department of Education, and use its newly asserted executive powers to impose its policy agenda. .
These measures would allow President Trump to implement policies that many consider authoritarian, including using the National Guard and military to deport millions of “illegal aliens” if necessary. The purpose is
The American experiment in democracy has captivated and inspired the world since its beginning in 1776. But never before has it seemed so at stake. The United States is deeply divided on many fundamental issues, from taxation, immigration, abortion, trade, energy, environmental policy, and America’s role in the world.
For the first time, these divisions appear to be more important to many voters than respect for democratic institutions and traditions. More fundamentally, many Americans seem unable to accept the outcome of the democratic process and the subsequent legitimacy of the winner. Who wins elections and how the United States is governed as a result matters now more than ever to more people.
author: David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics, School of Political Science and International Relations, University of Birmingham
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
