The Top Issues That Americans Are Voting For In The Upcoming Presidential Elections

Key takeaways:

• The two main parties participating in the upcoming elections are the Democrats and the Republicans. Each party’s policymaking reflects their positions on major issues that determine voting behaviour and choices in the American voters. Voters select candidates from the party whose policies most closely resemble their own stance on the particular issue.
• Inflation and prices are the most popular issue among voters. Democrats approaching such issues in more interventionalist manners to simultaneously balance social issues and social benefits. Republicans take a free
• market approach, ensuring that markets are driven by profit incentive to reach highest levels of efficiency and optimum usage of resources.
• Immigration is the second most popular issue among voters. Democrats are encouraging of immigration and diverse community building, while Republicans remain reclusive.
• Healthcare concerns are the third priority for voters. The Democratic stance involves policies to make healthcare accessible and fair to every strata of society, while Republicans are averse to public expenditure on this issue and prefer privatised healthcare.
• The next six issues that have shown immense popularity in assessments of voter behaviour are jobs and economy, abortion and reproductive health, climate and environment, civil rights: where do voters, national security, and gun laws.
• Voter behaviour has shown liberal tendencies in general. However, they tend to become more conservative and individualistic when it comes to matters about economy and taxes.  
• Issues like gun laws, military expenditure and abortion rights are also affected by international scrutiny. Voters often consider the international response to American policies on such matter before making voting choices.

Introduction:

With the elections scheduled in the United States on 5th November, there are a number of issues that preoccupy voters when making a responsible decision while selecting their candidates. This article aims to lay down and explain 10 of these top concerns of the American voting public, with statistics obtained from a survey carried out earlier by Statista, alongside an insight into the current position, policies and where both major parties, the Republicans and Democrats, stand regarding the issue.

A brief layout of the elections:

The upcoming elections are the determinators of who is going to serve four years of term in office as the next President of the United States of America, from January 2025 to January 2029. This outcome would be an indicator of American stances on national and global issues and lay the course for the future of American policymaking.
While there are independent candidates, the two candidates regarded as frontrunners come from the Democratic and the Republican party.
The current office is held by Joe Biden and his Democratic party. While he was originally running this campaign for re – election, it is now Vice President Kamala Harris that has stepped in to run for the Democrats, after his stepping down.
The Republican candidate is former president Donald Trump, who’s campaign focuses largely on his prior commitments and work in Office. It is likely his recent impeachment and public image play a large factor in voter reception towards him and their choice to vote for him.
Both parties are very divided in their stances on the pressing issues that voters consider in their elections. This creates polarized opinions that affects the result of elections. Laid out ahead are 9 of the top issues that American voters have chosen to vote on.

Issue 1: Inflation and prices
Routinely considered as the paramount decider of any U.S. General Elections, the economy, once again this year, has shown to be the issue most voters are concerned with. A survey shows that 25% of those voting considers the issue of inflation and prices as the most important issue they would be voting on.
In June 2022, under the democratic rule, inflation hit its highest in 40 years showing a 9.1% increase. The republicans have an upper hand among those aggrieved by increasing prices, considering that the average rate of inflation under Biden’s Democratic government was a mighty 5.7% compared to 1.9% under that of Trump’s between 2016 – 2020. However, in general, studies have reflected that the rate of inflation tends to remain lower under a Democratic government than it is under a Republican one.

• a.    Prices:

Generally, Republican policies reflect a free–market approach, wherein market forces drive the economy, while Democrat policies display more interventionalist tendencies. This means that under a Republican government, people would expect that there is deregulation, lower taxation, and less government spending. 
The Republican model would allow businesses to explore and adopt production cycles that reduce their production costs and increase their profit margins. This kind of incentive drives businesses to invest and expand, eventually, helping an economy flourish. 
On the other hand, Democratic polices, recognizing the possibility for corporate abuse and the possibility of monopolization by letting corporates become too large, implement stringent duties on businesses in the form of regulations. 
They focus more on corporate responsibilities and ethical growth, thereby introducing policies that buffer exploitative economic growth. 
For example, Republican governments would promote policies that allow the use of AI by businesses, recognizing its efficiency and the potential for research and development. Conversely, Democrats would circumvent such usage given the number of workers that would be put out of work, or the disproportionate advantage a larger corporation would get over a smaller one.

• b.    Taxes:

When Republican governments promise to charge lower taxes, they aim to directly reduce prices and cut inflation, while simultaneously reducing government spending on social programs. Not only do lower income taxes increase disposable income, lowering sales taxes lowers shelf price and reduces raw material costs that push down costs of production. 
When entertained responsibly, businesses would transfer this advantage to customers by lowering their product prices to ease the inflation burden. In coordination, this combination of fiscal easement drives up the economic activity that fuels economic growth.
Conversely, Democrats tend to charge higher taxes on a staggered basis, depending on the income class of a citizen, commonly known as progressive taxation. Under this, the lower income groups pay lower tax rates, and these rates keep increasing as the income of the individual increases. 
Eventually, this evens out the gross income post-tax that a high-earning and a low-earning citizen is left with. This helps in redistributive income and fair market goals of the government and gives the government enough tax revenue to spend on social schemes. These initiatives generally tackle living conditions, education, job creation and training, etc., with the government organizing grants, subsidies, workshops and drives to achieve their aims, such as Medicare. To conclude, a Democratic interventionalist government believes in social reform through the helping hand of the government.
While both Republican and Democratic policies reflect a mix of advantages and disadvantages to the American economy, the US voter population has shown preference to the Republican outlook. This could be because of the instant appeal of personal benefit over a lengthy collective benefit. The immediate reaction to increased prices, as expected for any citizen, would by unsavoury and it is likely they choose an option that reduces their expenditure burden, which is offered by lowering taxation and as its result, market prices. Ultimately, it is an implied and longstanding understanding that the candidate who is seen to benefit the economy has a significant upper hand over his counterparts among the entire voter population of the USA.

Issue 2: Immigration
Secondly, voters are concerned with citizenship conferment, asylum policies, border security and integration related policies. According to surveys, 11% voters find immigration as their top concern when choosing a candidate. Above others, voters are interested most interested in the policies that regulate the US – Mexico border.

• a.    Citizenship conferment in integration:

The conferment of citizenship is done through a process of “naturalization,” wherein an individual is granted the right to call himself an American citizen. This means such citizen has the legal rights and social benefits that an American citizen is entitled to, completing his integration into the United States. 
Over history, America has been able to process more resettlements than any other country in the world.  Naturalization rates had shown an increase since COVID-19 setbacks and governmental changes. As a result, 969,400 persons were naturalized  in, recording a decade high figure. This fell in 2023 by 9%. 
Democrats display a more open attitude towards naturalization. Their policies aim to pacify the stringent eligibility criteria for naturalization application, lower the costs of procedures involved. 
Many of the legislations put forward by the Democrats reflect their enthusiasm towards welcoming more American citizens, such as the DREAM Act, which makes it easier for children who were brought into the US undocumented to gain citizenship. They even conduct workshops, drives and other social programs like language classes for immigrants to rehabilitate into the US.
On the other hand, Republican policies are more hostile to naturalization. They are very concerned about over immigration and discredit legislation like the DREAM Act, introducing more strict processes, fees, and criteria to be integrated into the American society. They see this as a preventative measure to curb illegal immigration. Unlike Democrats, they criticize the taxpayer burden that is incurred to provide public benefits and integration resources to asylum seekers.

• b.    Asylum policies and border control:

More prominently, Republicans and Democrats dispute over the policies to integrate asylum seekers in America, after they escape persecution in their home countries. This also involves concerns related to the border control policies, especially the US – Mexico border.
In the year Fiscal Year 2021, immigration was capped at its lowest ever  by Republican administration, allowing only 15,000 resettlements, out of which only 11,400 asylum seekers were actually resettled. By 2023, the cap was increased to 125,000  by Biden’s office but only 31,800 resettlements actually took place. 
At the southern border, the number of encounters has increased greatly since the pandemic. The end of 2023 reported a record high in these numbers, estimated at over 250,000 encounters in December 2023 alone.
As visible through the policy changes above, Democrats advocate for easier processes and more accessible resources for asylum seekers to find a haven in America. Rather than alienating those who have escaped persecution in the hopes of finding safety in US by detention, they ideate faster societal integration. One of President Biden’s earliest orders was to cease the construction of the border wall started by Trump.
Democrats do aim to reduce illegal immigration at the borders, but by policies that address causes of immigration so that it is done lawfully and condemn any measures that are cruel and divisive.
Republicans, on the other hand, demand detention and overt scrutiny of asylum seekers, and eventual deportation upon failure to meet eligibility standards. They blame refugees for overcrowding and saturating resources available to American citizens. 
They are strong advocates for tightening of border security, even suggesting children and parents to be separated at the border and high penalties if caught undocumented. Viewing illegal immigration, a threat to national security, they have infamously recommended the building of a wall at the southern border to prevent access points for refugees and asylum seekers
Recent studies show that as of 2023, majority of the Americans favour immigration (around 73% of the population surveyed, as opposed to the 27% who prescribe it to be bad)  but it is still deemed to have become less favourable among Americans since 2020, when 77% were in support.  While this would make Harris popular amongst voters, voters are also likely to consider the failure of the previous government in adequately implementing its policies to achieve their goals. Despite this failure, the Democrats are at an advantage in this issue, given how the Republicans dissuade immigration and integration from the outset. 

Issue 3: Healthcare
With 10% voters focused on healthcare, this is the third most popular issue for voters voting in the upcoming elections. This comes to include drug prices, universal healthcare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

• a.    Drug prices:

A study by RAND Health in 2022 determined that drug prices in the US were nearly three times higher  than equivalent medication in a dataset of comparison countries. Additionally, a year before, in 2021, 18% of adults had not filled a prescription for their medication; 21% adults had replaced their prescribed drug with an over the counter medication instead; 15% adults had skipped or reduced dosage and 29% of the adults had done at least one of the above , as a result of the increasing prices of drugs.
Democratic stances involve the government in the regulation and capping of prices via schemes such as Medicare, with the government collaborating with pharmaceuticals directly. They also call for greater transparency in drug pricing so that extortionate prices can be thwarted. In 2022, the Democrats introduces the Inflation Reduction Act wherein any high price drug was controlled by Medicare so that individuals had more access to these.
Conversely, Republicans strongly discourage such extensive intervention in favour of innovation and research that pharmaceuticals can develop upon if incentivized by profit. 
To not stifle innovation and decrease drug costs by self – correcting market solutions, Republicans favour making the paperwork for approval of drugs easier, so that market competition is maintained.

• b.    Universal healthcare

Universal healthcare refers to a national system wherein all residents are guaranteed access to healthcare provisions. US remains the only country that is considered ‘developed’ without a universal healthcare system. As of 2022, it was recorded that over 27 million people  in the US lived without any healthcare insurance, of which 64% blamed  this on the unaffordability of coverage. 
While Democrats agree largely on the need to introduce and encourage universal healthcare, as well as health insurance, their plan to create these changes remain unclear. Some candidates, like Bernie Sanders, advocate for the “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act”  which is tax funded and replaces all forms of private health insurance. This would also increase coverage to include a lot more forms of care that are provided to American residents.
However, other Democrats recognize the need to balance a private and public health insurance sector and support the proliferation of universal healthcare via the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This has become popularly known as “Obamacare” having been passed under the Obama administration in 2010. 
This views to subsidise the public healthcare operations to compete with private entities, without fully eliminating them as Universal Healthcare would. This would also mean that the American consumer has more choice in selecting their healthcare.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Republicans are opposed to Universal Healthcare citing the increased tax burdens on individuals it would impose. Additionally, they have also stated that without any profit incentives and the overregulation in the public sector of healthcare, the quality of services provided with substantially deteriorate. Like one part of the divided Democrats, they recognize that eliminating a private healthcare sector would also reduce consumer autonomy. 
They also hold similar grounds to oppose the ACA and suggest that the most ideal way to reduce healthcare prices would be to promote market competition like a private sector encourages. They also encourage the implementation and usage of Health Savings Accounts (HAS) which would empower individuals to access healthcare of their choice.
Like most of their policies, Republican policies tend to favour those who can afford a higher standard of living. On the other hand, Democratic policies recognize the uniform need for healthcare among all strata of societal delegations and aim to introduce such mechanisms that are not exclusive of certain populations based on earning capacity. However, the Democrats remain divided in their approach to achieve the result, and their ability to deliver a robust operation to meet their goal would determine the voter reaction. This is a critical issue in determining the next government, considering that as of a 2022 poll, only 12%  of the interviewed population was happy with the healthcare systems in place in America.

Issue 4: Jobs and economy
10% of the American voters regard jobs and economy betterment to be their biggest consideration when voting. Job creation, income equality, labour rights, technological incorporations into the workforce and job training formulate this issue.

• a.    Job creation:

As of July 2024, the US unemployment rates have remained at 4.3%, as compared to 10.2%  in July 2020. This depicts a quick recovery in job markets post pandemic and the change of government after the last election. Despite this being desirable, this benefit has not shown to spread uniformly across the States, because of technology and redundancy.
Democrats aim to amplify the creation of jobs by investments (such as technological, educational, infrastructural, etc.), especially in the socially desirable sectors such as education and environmental preservation. This allows them to obtain their societal goals whilst keeping the working population engaged and employed. At the same time, they also encourage the growth of small businesses and provide aid and benefits, like subsidies, for the flourishment of these, so that they can create more opportunities in the market and provide more jobs in turn.
Republicans also favour job creation, but again, encouraging a more hands – off approach. They ultimately aim to increase business confidence, that would encourage employers to hire more people after realizing the confidence to carry out more business. Often, this means tax cuts, so that there can be more expenditure on wages while maintaining a profit margin, and deregulation. It is likely that deregulation would weaken workers’ rights, making it possible to exploit cheap and quality labour, which is one way of increasing business confidence when undertaking the risk of employing a new worker.

• b.    Income equality

Income equality recognizes the disparity between the richer class and the subsequent worse off classes in the American economy. In 2022, the top earning category of Americans, on an average, earned 12.63% more  than the individuals at the lowest earning category. While this is still an extreme disproportionality, this is an improvement from 2021, where the top category earned 13.51% more  than the bottom.
Democrats generally follow a principle that is known as redistribution, which reallocates any excesses of the wealthy to suffice the shortages of the poor. 
Various ways that the Democrats have aimed to achieve this redistribution include progressive taxation – wherein the rate of tax increases as does the income – and increased minimum wages so that workers are not exploited and at least provide for their basic and essential costs of living. 
Any tax generated out of taxes (which are higher for the higher income earning groups) are then used to finance any social programs that would equip low earning groups with the skills they need to compete at the job market, and as expected, to provide for their essential requirements so that they can live at least a quality of life that is acceptable.
On the other hand, Republicans encourage overall lower taxation, and especially dislike increasing taxes to the corporations and to then wealthy, as they see their wealth having a resultant effect onto lower income earners, who gain job opportunities and higher wages by working for the wealthy. 
To put simply, they argue that economic growth would self – correct any income inequalities.

• c.    Labour rights:

In addition to minimum wages, labour integrity is a crucial spectrum of the employment issue. Recent years have shown a steady reduction in union membership among workers, amounting only to 10% workers being members of the union in 2023. In. 1983, however, a double of over 20% of the workers  were participants of a labour union, ringing alarm bells on issues like worker exploitation in recent years.
Democrats recognize the need to have strong bargaining power to secure stronger working rights at the workplace. They recognize that the collective voice and demand of unionization is a handy tool in this function. 
They reflect this viewpoint in their policymaking – their legislations make it easier to join worker unions and to negotiate for better working arrangements, in terms of wages and workplace conditions.
Republicans prefer to take the side of the corporations employing workers, and as a result, remain unimpressed by unionization of workers. They recognize that strong unions may discourage business growth, e.g., by increasing their production costs, thereby curbing work opportunities at these businesses. 

• d.    Technological incorporation into the workplace

A rising concern among workers is the rapid growth of technology that limits the need for a lot of manual labour, resulting in redundancy of skills and workers and limiting their job opportunities. The development of Artificial Intelligence has increased this concern even more, even threatening the jobs of many high skilled, intellectual, white – collar professionals. It is estimated that 47% of the jobs in the US  are likely to be taken over by technology in the next 20 years. However, the growth of technology can also lead to job creation in IT related fields and definitely increase efficiency in services and production cycles.
The Democratic view is to control the intermingling of technology into the professional world only to the extent that it helps and compliments the working population. 
Their policies generally limit the ways that a business may use technology, and advocate for training programmes to equip workers with skills needed to work alongside newer technologies. 
They also promote education in technology related fields so that new workers can develop new technologies, rather than being threatened by it
Republican views, again, reflect a preference for business profitability and research & development. They refrain from overregulation and recognize that technological efficiencies would drive forward economic growth. It relies on the adaptation of the market to suit and accommodate such technological involvements.

Issue 5: Abortion and reproductive healthcare
With recent changes and developments in this issue, voters are concerned with their abortion and reproductive rights under the government. While it can be an extension of the healthcare issue, it is so pivotal that 8% consider this issue alone as the decider in their voting options.

• a.    Roe v. Wade [410 U.S. 113 (1973)]

While this was an issue often incorporated into healthcare, recent overturning of the Roe v. Wade 410 U.S. 113 (1973) Supreme Court decision has definitely demarcated a position for abortion and reproductive health as an independent issue that impacts voter decision-making.
The decision of Roe vs Wade made abortion legal nationwide in 1973, but in the June 2022 decision of Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organisation, 597 U.S. (2022) returned the power to federal states to decide whether abortion was to remain legal in the respective state. Resultantly, 14 states have completely criminalized abortion and 6 states have made their laws stricter. States like California and New York are among the few that have strengthened a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy.
Not only has this been scrutinized and criticized internationally as a step back for women and their bodily autonomy and rights, but also created incongruence within US as some states have imposed a total ban on abortion, while other remain liberal. This has also led to a range of humanitarian and legal concerns, ranging from the threat of more unsafe abortions taking place to the fear of women having undergone an abortion in one state, where it was legal, being persecuted upon entry to another state, where it is not. 

• b.    Public reception of the decision

Within US, a whopping 60% of Americans  believe that the Dobbs decision was unsavoury. Post this decision, 54% of Americans have also started identifying as “pro – choice” opposed to 41% being “pro – life.” 
Democrats are clear in this matter that they support the rights of women to abort pregnancies and have been vocally critical of the overturning of Roe vs Wade. They have also conducted drives and campaigns to advocate for federal states to restore the right for women to abort and make the process safer, more transparent, and easier for them. 
They have proposed and highly recommended the Women’s Health Protection Act which would constitutionalize a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy, thereby stripping federal states of the individual rights to arbitrarily criminalise them, gaining them popularity among younger voters. 
Republicans are just as staunchly anti-abortion which gains them support from conservative and religious voters. Expectedly, they hailed the Dobb’s decision on the claim that they stand for “protection of life” by demanding outright bans on abortions. 
This view reflects at times even when abortion is necessitated by the condition of the mother and/or foetus. Otherwise, they ask for stricter abortion rules – such as it being legal only in extreme circumstances, or within 15 weeks of pregnancy.

• c.    Other reproductive health policies

Democrats are in favour of access to contraception, advocating for them to be made over the counter and in emergencies. They also attempt to make these affordable and available to all sections of society.
Republicans, even if they okay contraception usage, dissuade this being as accessible, such as by discouraging them to be available without prescription or be covered in insurance.
Likewise, Democrats ask for sex education in schools so that everyone is aware of the availability of resources to them, while Republicans tend to view these as taboos.
As the polls suggest, voters would be more drawn to the democratic policies of the Harris led government, recognizing the need for better reproductive healthcare as part of their advocacy for women’s rights and recognition for the need to access abortion. As the female candidate, Harris is also expected to advance related rights in the right direction, gaining her favour among voters. However, the overturning of the Roe vs. Wade decision under a Democratic governance itself has been a stain on their legacy, raising questions on the ability of Democrats to actualize their principles.

Issue 6: Climate and environment
The climate and environment occupy a major section of voter concerns. 7% prioritized this issue for the current elections, considering matters of renewable energy, sustainable development, environmental justice, and waste management. Voters have taken the considerations of economic growth in conjunction with impact to the environment, now being more mindful of the two balancing each other out.

• a.    Renewable energy and sustainable development

The US has started to find alternatives for fossil fuels. They look for natural resources to produce energy instead, including solar energy, hydro power, wind energy, etc. These impact the environment less adversely but are not as efficient in meeting the energy needs of the US as fossil fuels have been. 
Fossil fuels, therefore, accounted as the source of 84% of the energy  produced in the US last year in 2023. Slowly, the US is also aiming to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, of which it is the highest producer in the world.
Generally, Democrats promote the rapid adoption of renewable energy sources over fossil fuels and to reach their goals, they promote “clean” production, via subsidies, grants on research that allows the expansion of green energy usage, and tax benefits to those producers who show decrease in their harm to the environment during production cycle. In his very initial days in Office, President Biden also signed the document to rejoin the Paris Agreement, which deals with international climate change.
They are aiming for a zero-carbon economy by 2050 under a scheme known as the ‘Green New Deal.’ To achieve this, they have also started certifying spaces for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs (LEEDS).
While Republicans are not opposed to renewable energy, their aim for economic growth remains top priority. 
They are more conservative in switching to renewable energy at the risk of slowing down production and economic growth. 
They also encourage investments in fossil energy technologies in terms of extracting oil in foreign countries and nuclear energy progressions. They criticize the increase in costs for consumers and producers that switching to green practices may entail.

• b.    Environmental justice

Voters have started recognizing patterns that indicate that marginalized communities are disproportionately harmed more by unhealthy environments due to social and societal structure and setup. A 2018 study found that people of colour in the US faced a 28% higher health burden  than Caucasians due to systemic racism that resulted in them living closer to industrial zones emitting dangerous gases. 
The Biden government introduced the Justice40 initiative that aims to allocate 40% of the returns from investments in green technologies and systems to marginalized communities. This reflects the recognition of this often-overlooked issue by the Democratic government. They have also promised to include and centralize the opinion of marginalized communities in policymaking, among many other things, in matters relating to the environment.
Republican governments tend to overlook this aspect of environmental concern, circumventing committing to any public or federal action on this matter. They are of the opinion that such issues are best dealt through private initiatives.

• c.    Waste management

This aspect deals with the re use and disposal of material that is produced as final product or used and discarded in production cycles. If not disposed with proper process, these clog up and pollute the environment as trash, even risking public health in the process. The US is responsible for producing more than 12% of the total trash thrown away  in the world even though it accounts for only 4% of the world population.
Democratic governments suggest intricate and robust waste management systems that promote a circular economy. A circular economy runs on the idea of reusing material rather than discarding it after use. They advocate for laws that limit the usage by people and producers of single use plastic, and the recycling of material into new forms, including energy, holding producers answerable for reckless dumping where required.
Republicans, in an attempt to lower costs, overlook the dumping effect of cheap production cycles that do not emphasise waste management. Like environmental justice, they leave the choice to private entities to decide on the most suitable waste management mechanism to them rather than interfering or regulating them.
Two – thirds of American population favour the exploration of renewable energy sources, but the adult population is still hesitant to completely relinquish their ability to use fossil fuel.  On this basis, both Democrats and Republicans may be at par with each other.

Issue 7: Civil rights
For voters, civil rights are most crucial to the current elections. 6% of the voters consider these matters, including racial equality, women’s rights, criminal justice and LGBTQIA+ rights, when selecting their candidates in the elections. 
Among all the divisive stances taken by Republicans and Democrats in issues that covers are voting for in the upcoming elections, perhaps the greatest and most apparent divide emerges in the matters of civil rights.
Statistics report that 79% Democrats consider racial discrimination as a serious problem in the USA, and only 22% agree on the Republican side.

• a.    Racial discrimination:

As an advocate for human rights, the Democrats are hugely vocal about racial injustices and make policies targeting systemic racism to promote racial equality.
After the cruel murder of George Floyd under the Trump governance, the Democratic government implemented the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that addresses police brutality and aims to make appropriate reforms to law enforcement powers so that the police cannot misuse them.
Their Republican counterparts are of the belief that the issue of racism in US is exaggerated and go as far as to claim anti - racism laws as a form of "reverse racism." It remains against the intervention of State in law enforcement agencies alleging that it would only cause disorder and chaos.

• b.    LGBTQIA+ rights

In 2022, a report claimed that 83% Democrats supported same sex marriage, opposed to 55% Republicans. This, once again, reflects the conservative mindset of Republican lawmakers. It is also reported that as of 2022, 64% of the LGBTQIA+ have faced some form of hate crime  – in terms of abuse or violence – as a result of their membership in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Democrats view the purpose of their federal policies regarding LGBTQIA+ inclusion to thwart any discrimination in opportunity, including education, employment, housing, etc. against people from the community. They stand affirmative by the Equality Act to encourage inclusiveness of the community into society.
Republicans favour their conservative beliefs and choose to favour religious freedom instead, which is often in conflict with recognition of the LGBTQIA+ communities. They are also critical of the Equality Act, claiming that it is overinvolvement of the government that infringes on practice of religion.

• c.    Women’s rights

In addition to the reproductive rights issue, the safety of women and participation and opportunity at the workplace is also a major concern among voters.
On an average, women cents, wand even worse for women of colour.
In addition to the aforementioned reproductive health related legislations and policies, Democrats advocate for additional policies that address issues of provide easier maternity leaves and childcare access to bolder the participation of women in the workplace. They also advise policies and campaigns to tackle the issues of gendered violence.
Republicans tend to favour traditional family roles, as was already apparent in their pro – life stance on abortion. They are also unlikely to support policies promoting equal pay or allow them higher leadership positions at the workplace. It was reported that 59% Trump supporters believe that marriage and children should be peoples top priority, while only 19% of Biden’s supporters had agreed. 
However, to boost the economy, Republicans are not fully averse to women’s participation in the labour force.

• d.    Criminal justice reform

The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world. 355 of every 100, 000 people  are imprisoned on an average in the US. At the same time, there is a significant racial disparity and minorities are always overrepresented in prisons.
Democrats are dedicated to criminal justice reforms and ask for it being mandated that there is a minimum sentence for incarcerated individuals. They also advocate for alternatives to imprisonment, like community service and therapy, and the easement of laws to not punish certain non – violent felonies
Republicans are also supportive of criminal justice system but are also committed to law and order, so they are likely to support increasing the powers of law enforcement agencies, like the police, and support arrests to deter others from misconduct. They are, hence, very opposed to defunding the police and view it as jeopardizing public health.
The Democrats display a more liberal attitude while Republicans tend to remain conservative and traditional. This makes Democrats more popular among young voters and Republicans more traceable in older voters. Surprisingly, data has shown that overall, Americans have started to become more conservative in recent times, with 38% people calling themselves “conservative” and 29% calling themselves “liberal” in 2023.  However, voters still do favour some liberal policies, like was seen in the abortion related numbers, making it hard to determine which party has an advantage.

Issue 8: National security
Issues like terrorism, military spending, cybersecurity, and nuclear proliferation constitute issues of national security, which is the top concern for 5% of American voters.

• a.    Terrorism

Terrorism remains a top concern for Americans and a huge factor in laying out policies for national security. Domestic terrorism and extremism has been shown to be on the rise in  America, with related investigations increasing by 357% since 2010.  These kind of activities are generally racially or ethnically motivated and are carried out by extremists.
Democrats generally respond in surv\eillance – based solutions, suggesting intelligence sharing and international coordination and cooperation. They tend to also address the sources of such activity, and deal with them as proactive measures, e.g., poverty and political instability.
Republicans have a militaristic response. Their actions are more aggressive, and largely only address international terrorism by targeting operations abroad. This does not look at and is hence not effective to tackle the problem of domestic terrorism, a result of violent extremism.

• b.    Military spending

The US spends the most on its military compared to any other country in the world. In 2023, 916 billion US dollars  were given to the military, meaning around 3.5% of their GDP.
The Democrats display a sense of neutrality towards military spending. While they recognize the need for expenditure on military so it can run its operations without problems, they also recognize when the funds need to be diverted to other national issues that are more pressing. They tend to question and inspect any demands of more expenditure to military before granting them.
Republicans often view a strong military as a status symbol – hence a strong military, to them, is essential not only for security of Americans, but also global representation and leadership. They support more military spending so that there can be advancements to military technology and practices, and so that the military is ready to combat any international threats.

• c.    Cybersecurity 

In the emerging digital world, cybersecurity has become a top concern among American voters in their consideration of national security. In 2023, there were 3205 cases reported of data compromises, affecting 353 million people, in America. 
Both, Democrats and Republicans convene in recognizing that cybersecurity is a form of national threat. They both call for increased regulation and legislation in preventing such attacks.
While Democrats tend to increase investments in cyber security to safeguard their citizens, they also recognize and vocalise the need to be mindful of privacy of individuals in the implementation of such security.
Republicans do not believe in x investments that would increase tax burdens for preventing cybercrime. They believe in measures taken by the private sector.

• d.    Nuclear proliferation

USA holds, along with Russia, the biggest arsenal of nuclear weapons in any of the nine countries in the world with nuclear weapons.
Democrats recognize the threats that nuclear weapons pose and advocate for treaties, international agreements, and cooperation, etc. against nuclear proliferation to settle disputes. They support limiting nuclear stock and limiting its spread, and have entered agreements with countries such as Iran and India.

Republicans are not as much in favour of international agreements, alleging that it would reduce the flexibility of US in its military exercises. It calls for military action against hostile nations to prevent their acquisition of nuclear weapons.
Democratic diplomacy is likely to attract voters who view national and international talks and cooperation as the solution to increasing concerns in volatile world affairs. They would recognize that aggressive tactics of Republicans, such as military actions for nuclear proliferation, is excessive and must be contained by peacekeeping, rather than force. However, those areas that have faced more attacks are likely to be apprehensive on these matters, ultimately choosing the forceful Republican stance.

Issue 9: Guns
One of the most publicized issues, gun policies are the top concern for 4% American voters. They regard the positions on gun control and possession legislations, the Second Amendment, and school safety when voting in the upcoming elections.

• a.    Gun control and possession and the Second Amendment

The possession of guns is codified in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, giving them a right to bear arms. It is estimated there are over 500 million firearms  owned by civilians in the US, having gone up by 28% between 1994 and 2023.  Out of this, only 6.06 firearms are registered.  Furthermore, around 43% of families in America own at least one gun. 
Democratic interpretation of the right in the Second Amendment introduces an element of reasonability. Hence, their policies would only reflect legalizing reasonable possession of arms. They identify that the right is not absolute, and in that way, they can strike a balance between gun safety and constitutional rights. 
They have introduced proposals that call for an extensive background check before allowing the purchase of weapons, implementing “red flag” laws which temporarily remove weapons from those who are deemed to be a threat to public safety, the complete banning of assault weapons, and very importantly, tightening laws for purchase of guns in a way that nobody can buy unregistered weapons.
Republicans are more liberal in their interpretation and stand for an absolute right to possess arms. They minimize intervention, so as to not infringe constitutional rights and compromise self-defence. 
As a result of their overemphasizing of gun possession as a fundamental right, they oppose most forms of laws and policies that aim to control guns in the US. In fact, they suggest arming more individuals to protect themselves against shooters, such as teachers.

• b.    School safety

A result of lackadaisical gun con troll policies is the increase in number of public shootings. These are increasingly concentrated in education campuses. By December 2023, there had been 630 mass shootings in the US.  So far in 2024, there have been 124 shootings on schoolgrounds  resulting in fatalities.
Democrats are opposed to the idea of arming teachers with guns or increasing gun assisted security at schools, recognizing that it could jeopardise student lives. They demand the ban of assault weapons, which are the most common forms of weapon used in school shootings. They also advocate for preventative measures, such as mental health counselling, student training and drills and early intervention programs.
On the other hand, Republicans do not wish to compromise on the freedom of gun use and possession to curb school shootings, instead, calling for more physical security on premises. They suggest increasing instalment of more security cameras, security teams assisted by weapons, armed teachers, metal detectors and more forms of physical safety measures on school premises. 
In addition, they suggest that mental health drives and programs can be used to compliment these measures as preventative measures. They do not identify gun laws to be the cause of school shootings and are hence opposed to tightening those laws.
The outlooks of the two parties are polar and create polarization among voters. 60% of the population believes that it is more important to control gun laws that protect gun rights. This includes 4 in 10 gun owners. According to numbers, Americans generally agree with the laws put forward by Democrats, e.g. 27% believe that banning the sale of automatic weapons would reduce school shootings, 13% agree to background checks and 12% agree with red flag laws. Only 10% people believe in allowing teachers to equip themselves with firearms.  On this note, it is likely that Democrats are chosen by the masses more easily. However, it is worth mentioning that states with higher numbers of people possessing guns, such as Texas, are likely to choose Republican.

Conclusion:

As we inch closer to the polls and election day, the American population must address a range of issues that mould the nation’s future. From the economy, to immigration, national security, healthcare, abortion, etc. the selection of the voters will course the entire international landscape, which US is elemental to. Either result will have major implications on the entire world map, not just the United States of America, given the close international relations it has built and its weight on the global economy. 
While populist opinion tends to still remain fairly liberal, as it was last elections, hinting at a Democratic win, voters have shown prudence to hindsight and their opinion of the last four years, and the work done in office in that time is likely to affect their choice. The shifts and evolvements in current affairs and global scenarios regarding crime, healthcare, climate and social justice are likely to further create changes in voter behaviour. It is how effectively each candidate can address the above issues in line with voter preference and effectively address concerns of voters that will earn them their votes and increase their chance to occupy the office.

FAQ’s
1.    What is the electoral process?
The electoral procedure can be explained in 4 steps:
Step 1: Primaries and caucuses are held to decide which candidates represents the party. A primary election is a voting system wherein voters can vote for their candidate of choice through a ballot. It may be open (all voters, regardless of their party affiliation, can participate) or closed (only selected party members participate).  In a caucus, a series of discussions are held in meetings between the party, then they assemble into groups in terms of their candidate of choice. Depending on the number of people in each group, nominees are selected.
Step 2: National conventions are held so that state delegates for the nominees endorse their nominee in their states. There is then a revote among the delegates and superdelegates, resulting in one single nominee to be selected as the party’s choice to run the Presidential Campaign. At this point, the selected candidate chooses a Vice – President.
Step 3: People across the country, from their respective states, vote for their preferred candidate. However, at this stage, they are not voting directly for the President, but for an electoral from their state. Depending on which candidate won which State, all the electoral votes go to that candidate (except Nebraska and Maine, which follow a proportionality system).
Step 4: The electoral college has been formed. When a candidate has the vote of more than half of the electors (270), they have won the campaign and have become the President of the United States of America.
2.    Who is eligible to vote?
To vote, one must be a U.S. citizen aged over 18. They must fulfill the residency requirements of their state and also be registered to vote.
3.    Can non – citizens vote if they work/study in the US?
No. Someone must be a U.S. citizen to vote. Even those with permanent legal residency in the U.S., but without legal citizenship, cannot cast their vote for the presidential elections.

4.    How can voters understand the stances of various candidates on the multiple issues?
There are voter guides available to voters which give an overview on each candidate, their experience and the goals they aim to achieve in their term as President. Voter’s can also get an insight to the candidate’s stance after looking at their speeches, campaigns, social media publishings and very importantly, the widely watched Presidential Debate, wherein the two candidates go head-to-head to paint an image of their vision for America while criticising and questioning the other’s.
5.    When is the Presidential Debate?
While the first debate has already taken place, on 27th June 2024 on CNN, this was prior to President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential campaign. The second debate is scheduled between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on 10th September 2024, depending on the reaching of an agreement between the candidates on the debate terms.