Presidential Election 2020
The upcoming United States Presidential Election features two candidates, Donald Trump, the incumbent President, and Joe Biden, his competitor. Donald Trump belongs to the Republican Party side, while Joe Biden belongs to the left-wing Democratic Party. The elections come at an exciting time where the world is facing a pandemic that is wreaking havoc on people’s health and the world’s economies. The election is crucial because the United States is the most affected, with the pandemic having the highest number of both infected and fatalities of the pandemic. There are other reasons, such as the economy, healthcare, education, immigration, and so on, that will determine who gets elected. This paper will look at the two presidential candidates and the impact their election will have on the country and a personal basis.
The Presidents Job Description
The office of the president in the United States is the highest political office in the country, and for that reason, the president has some roles he/she has to play. These roles are under the executive branch of government, and they are enshrined in the United States Constitution. The president is the head of state and government head and is responsible for running the country and the government. This role dictates the second role, which is the president is the appointing authority of different offices. The president is responsible for appointing the cabinet ministers, ambassadors, and heads of independent federal commissions like the Federal Reserve Board (The White House 1). The president also appoints judges and other national offices and overseeing agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency and the Environmental protection agency.
The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces. The president is responsible for overseeing the armed forces’ training, supervision, and deployment (The White House 1). The president is the chief diplomat accountable for consulting, negotiating, and signing treaties with other world leaders. The president is also responsible for formulating public policies and can also request or veto legislation (The White House 1). These are among the significant roles of the United States president, among other duties necessary for governing and protecting the country.
Who Fits the Job Description?
The constitution lists the qualifications to become the United States president as one must be 35 years of age and a natural-born citizen who has lived in the country for over 14 years. Based on these requirements, both the two candidates qualify to be the president. A look at the two candidates shows different attributes and experiences, especially in politics. President Donald Trump now has four years’ experience of being an American president. Before his tenure as president, Donald Trump was a successful businessman, making him among America’s wealthiest individuals. However, Joe Biden seems to fit the job description of the presidency much better. Joe Biden served as a United States Senator representing Delaware from 1973 to 2009. He also served as the Vice president during the Obama administration. This service to the country at that political level with all those years of experience gives him an edge over Donald Trump. Joe Biden knows the workings of the senate and Congress because he was part of them. He has been involved in negations with countries and, therefore, diplomacy. Being in the system for over 40 decades gives him a better understanding of running the government.
Top 3 Issues of Public Concern Regarding the Election of the President
Critical issues received priority during the presidential campaigns, including the Corona pandemic, the economy, healthcare, unemployment, and racial tension. These issues took center stage for the campaigns as most citizens are currently felting them in the country. The Corona Virus pandemic is mainly a hot issue as it has led to massive unemployment, a stretch to the healthcare system, and a dent to the economy. The corona Virus pandemic has hit the United States the hardest, as it is the leading country in cases and mortality of Covid-19 patients. The coronavirus case count by October 20th was 8.3 million, with the death of over 220 000 Americans (Bleiker 1). The pandemic has caused the closure of business, schools, and many other sectors of the economy. This effect has led to a massive unemployment rate across the country as people lose jobs and businesses. The economy has been hit over the past few months, making it another critical concern. The closure of small businesses due to the pandemic and the high unemployment rates of about 14% indicates the economic situation (Bleiker 1). The current financial situation makes it a great concern to the voters in the coming elections. Healthcare is another primary concern, shown by the case about Obama’s care in the Supreme Court. HealthCare costs in the United States are expensive, and voters would look for who will give that menace.
How the Election of Each Candidate Will Influence the Future of Our Country
Donald Trump served and is still serving as the president and has shown his capabilities and main concerns. In my opinion, Donald Trump is concern about the economy more than any other aspect of the country. He had a good run before the pandemic was shown in the growth of the economy (Stiglitz 1). His election as president would facilitate the pick-up of the economy dependent on the effects of the pandemic. The Social Aspect of the economy seems like it will crumble, causing more racial tension between whites and people of color.
The Election of Joe Biden, in my opinion, would bring a semblance of calm in the left-wing group supporters in the hope to quell the social tension in the country. Due to his experience, he would try to settle the foreign relationships that have been destroyed in the Trump administration (Harrison 2). Since he was part of the Obama administration, he would bring back Obama Care and solve its healthcare crisis. Therefore, Biden would bring calm and tolerance to the country as he does not have left or right-wing high stands like Trump.
How the Election of Each Candidate Will Influence My Life and that of My Family
The Election of Donald Trump would bring uncertainty both to my family and me. The intolerance that is happening in the country and getting recognized worldwide is a cause for alarm. A divided country is not suitable as it can lead to unforeseen consequences like a civil war. However, the three years’ economic prospects promise a better future for my family and me. A good economy means more money in the economy, more jobs, better prices, and generally a better life for everyone.
The election of Joe Biden seems like a rosy affair that might solve several issues that are currently straining the country. The problem of social intolerance I solved by Biden would bring a calm environment, and this is good for the peace and well-being of my family and me. The promise of better healthcare policies like universal health coverage would reduce the family’s spending on healthcare. A better economy brought by building bridges with other countries like China would bring economic development (Siegel 2). Economic development would get jobs that would help me seek employment and give me better market options.
The Electoral College
The Electoral College is a group of electors chosen according to and equaling the congress representatives who technically vote for the United States president. The system came to existence as a compromise between disagreeing groups on electing the president (Young 9). By then, countries were run by colonial governments and run by monarchs, and they wanted to change this system. One party was against the Congress having a say in the presidential election was against a popular vote by the people (Young 10). So the Electoral College was formed by the “Founding Fathers” as a compromise between these two groups. The Electoral College was created by electing members from each state, depending on the number of congress representatives as it is now.
Works Cited
“The Executive Branch.” The White House, The United States Government, www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/the-executive-branch/.
Carla Bleiker, Deutsche Welle. “US Presidential Election: The Top 5 Issues: DW: 22.10.2020.” DW.COM, www.dw.com/en/us-election-top-5-issues/a-55351376.
Harrison, Joss. “There are signs that as president, Joe Biden could adopt a proactive human rights approach similar to Jimmy Carter’s.” USApp–American Politics and Policy Blog (2020).
Siegel, Neil S. “Political Norms, Constitutional Conventions, and President Donald Trump.” Ind. LJ 93 (2018): 177.
Stiglitz, J. “Trump’s Deficit Economy.” Project Syndicate (2019).
Young, Cheyenne. “The Electoral College and the Winner Takes All System.” (2020).