The Economy
"It's the economy, stupid" (It's about the economy, stupid). Star strategist James Carville's phrase was coined during Bill Clinton's successful election campaign in 1992 and has rarely been truer. After the covid pandemic, the economic wheels are rolling relatively well in the USA, but prices have risen and the specter of inflation has a psychological grip on many. As many as 81 percent of voters say that the economy is very important when they vote, according to the Pew Research Center.
Republican Trump wants to strengthen domestic production, and thereby create jobs, through tariffs on certain imported goods. He advocates for broad tax cuts and was the first to propose that tips should not be taxed.
Harris has promised economic support to those buying their first home, as well as an expanded form of child allowance. She has also proposed a price ceiling on a range of daily goods.
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Border Security and Immigration
Strengthened border security was Donald Trump's flagship issue in the 2016 election, with his main promise being a border wall against Mexico. Both parties now believe that borders need to be strengthened and tougher measures taken against illegal migration. However, such a bill was voted down in Congress last spring, allegedly because Trump did not want his party colleagues to give the White House a victory.
If Harris becomes president, she plans to push through the bill. If Trump wins, he has promised to deport over 10 million undocumented migrants, unclear how.
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Healthcare and Abortion
Abortion is deeply contested in the USA, spanning religion, women's rights, and poverty reduction. Between 1973 and 2022, abortion rights were nationally protected through the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade, which established that free abortion is part of the constitutionally protected right to privacy. In 2022, Roe v. Wade was repealed and the issue was sent back to the states.
In the 2016 election, many anti-abortion voters voted for Trump because he promised to appoint conservative Supreme Court judges who could undermine abortion rights. Trump now says it is right that states decide on the issue, but that he would not sign a national abortion ban.
Harris, on the other hand, has made abortion her issue and promised to reintroduce abortion rights nationally.
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Democracy and Election Security
Many voters still remember the deadly storming of the Capitol in 2021, as well as Trump's many lawsuits where he falsely claimed that voter fraud occurred in the previous presidential election. A large proportion of Trump's loyal so-called Maga-voters believe him, and in some right-wing extremist groups, there is a willingness to contest the election result, both legally and with violence, according to researchers.
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Bubbling Under: Healthcare, Wars in the World, Violent Crime, and Climate Change.
The following political issues are crucial when Americans vote in the presidential election on November 5. Percentage of voters who consider the issue very important:
The Economy: 81
Healthcare: 65
Appointment of Judges to the Supreme Court: 63
Foreign Policy: 62
Violent Crime: 61
Immigration: 61
Gun Laws: 56
Abortion: 51
Equality: 37
Climate Change: 37
Source: Pew Research Center
