Source: https://www.stockvault.net/photo/253669/election-day-illustration License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Is this the year democracy falls? While this new year is filled with possibility, it also brings the fast-approaching presidential election. With political parties now more polarized than ever, the presidency has been pressing for many.

For many, this election feels as if it may be the end to the fragile framework that is democracy in the United States. While current President Joe Biden pledges to fight for democracy, former President Donald Trump recently commented that he would be a dictator on his first day in office. 

While political polls frequently change, current statistics show voters are more likely to vote for Trump. Some polls read that Trump has 55% of voter support, while Biden has 44%. There are a few potential factors behind this statistic, such as Biden’s age or social media.

Considering the effect that social media has on voters, political polarization is at an all-time high. On platforms such as Tik Tok and Instagram, videos of Biden falling or stuttering have caused backlash regarding his capability to the presidential role. 

Voters are hesitant to vote for a candidate who they deem ‘too old’ to be in office, holding concerns about their health and well-being. The topic of age is often discussed when referencing Biden, some questioning why he’s president if his age is not acceptable for a position of that caliber.

  It is important to examine the goals each candidate is planning on achieving during their presidency to make the most informed decisions.

If Biden were to be re-elected, he plans on continuing what he started during his first term in office. Some notable goals include restoring the nationwide right to abortion, which was overturned in 2020. In addition, banning firearms is a timely goal which he plans to follow through on. For students, an appealing goal may be that he plans to make two years of community college tuition free. 

On the opposing side, if Trump were reinstated into the White House, he would plan on ending illegal immigration in its entirety on the U.S-Mexico Border. He would also focus on passing a bill through Congress to establish that there are only “two genders” determined at birth. Unlike Biden, he also plans on allowing trained teachers to carry concealed weapons in schools for the safety of all students. 

After some states’ ruling to disenfranchise voting for Trump in the election, his eligibility has been in jeopardy. While Trump’s presidential eligibility is a topic which has been widespread across the media, the economic impacts of presidential candidates are also a concern, particularly for a student at Township. Sophomore Keeley Moffat has a sense of worry regarding the economy after the election.

“Our economy is in such a state that it is very vulnerable,” she said.

In 2023, there was a streak of resiliency in the economy, with a sizable quarterly increase from Q3 to Q4. Additionally, inflation is set to continue declining this year. While the current economic status of the country can be interpreted as positive, it is true that due to its fragility, a president’s legislature can affect the economy greatly. 

Trump had strong relations with the leader of North Korea, Kim-Jong Un during his presidency. Biden was also able to retain strong relations with other countries, including China and Russia, particularly in the midst of the Ukraine War. 

This election may hold similar feelings to that of the 2020 presidential election, and for good reason: the same candidates are running against each other, and tension is high. As voters, it is important to educate ourselves about our candidates to make the most informed decisions when voting.