7 Key Issues That Will Influence the 2024 Presidential Election: From Economy to Abortion

These Issues Will Determine the Trajectory of 2024 US Elections

A political rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election is inevitable. The competition is more than just a personality match; it's a fight over important issues that will determine the direction of America. The stakes are bigger than ever on issues ranging from the direction of the economy to the highly contentious subject of abortion rights, as reported by The Guardian. The outcome of climate action, American support for Ukraine during its confrontation with Russia, and the fundamental nature of democracy within U.S. boundaries are among the urgent issues that the approaching election will address. Here are seven of these crucial topics that will shape the conversation and course of the election in November.

1. Economy

The post-COVID recovery for the economy is proceeding as planned under Biden. Stocks are at record highs and unemployment is low. Although this is encouraging, the main question is whether enough people believe that Biden is running a robust economy that is helping them, or if they believe Trump was a safer choice. Polls indicate that many people do favor Trump. Questions on the cost of living dominate these polls. Inflation is still an issue. Republicans' threats to Medicare and social security, according to Biden, may allay these concerns. Such concerns must be minimized for Trump, whose support base is older than average, even though Republicans' transition plans include them.

2. Immigration

Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security under Biden, was impeached by House Republicans last month. Subsequently, the Senate GOP ruined a bipartisan immigration and border agreement under Trump's direction. Biden and Trump visited the southern border together that week on the same day. In an attempt to demonstrate to voters which party is willing to work on the problem and which is not, Biden focused attention on Republican resistance while urging Trump to collaborate with him. Meanwhile, Trump chose to attack Biden, alleging that evil powers were causing mayhem at the border.

3. Abortion

Democrats have made it clear that they will concentrate on Republican attacks on abortion rights, including the mifepristone case, the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, and harsh state-level restrictions supported by candidates. For Democrats, it makes tactical sense to support abortion rights, and this support has contributed to a string of election victories, even in conservative states. This has proven particularly easy since Trump continues to lose voters by reiterating the fact that he had once nominated the three judges who overturned Roe v. Wade.

4. Foreign Policy

For Biden, the Israel-Gaza conflict poses a challenging question: how to appease the pro-Palestinian lobby and sizable segments of their party, especially the younger and left wings, who are more tolerant of the Palestinian cause? Protests against Israel's bombardment of Gaza are still going strong, indicating that the base might implode. Additionally, Biden is still leading an international coalition to help Ukraine battle Russia, but Republicans who want to control immigration are preventing more U.S. cash from reaching Ukraine. Heavy criticism of foreign policy is assured when you factor in the long-term ramifications of the catastrophic exit from Afghanistan (which Trump engineered and Biden botched). Moreover, concerns about what would happen if China attacked Taiwan, and the threat that Trump offers to NATO also influence voters' opinion.

5. Equality

Attacks on LGBTQ+ rights have been a defining feature of Ron DeSantis's campaign to "Make America Florida." Although the conservative governor's unsuccessful campaign illustrates how effectively it backfired, Republican attempts to demonize so-called "woke" ideas shouldn't be written off as Trump's campaign gets underway. Such policies have resulted in anti-trans legislation, book bans, and educational restrictions on LGBTQ+ topics across the U.S. The Supreme Court has also led to the abolition of race-based affirmative action in institutions. Republicans' customary focus on crime and the ongoing struggles over immigration indicate that traditionally race-colored conflicts will continue to occur, especially in light of Trump's use of extreme "blood and soil" language. Lastly, support among Black and Hispanic voters isn't as certain as it once was for the Democrats.

6. Democracy

If Biden is excited to be viewed as a champion of democracy overseas, he is also eager to draw attention to the dangers facing democracy at home. After all, Trump has been connected to plans to drastically reduce the federal government in a second term, rejected the outcome of the 2020 election, encouraged the lethal attack on Congress on January 6, 2021, and even declared his desire to take office as a "dictator" on day one. Trump will undoubtedly continue to assert the lie that electoral fraud caused his defeat in 2020 even as multiple criminal prosecutions including 17 of 91 counts of election subversion go to trial. In the polls, Biden has found the topic to be beneficial. Yet many question its effectiveness for the polls in November.

7. Climate

Climate change is undeniably real, as evidenced by events like devastating floods, hurricanes, and forest fires. Survey data confirms this: Remarkably, half of Republicans, and 70% of Americans across lines, desire proper climate action. However, this isn't evident in any Republican campaign messaging. Trump constantly opposes initiatives for clean energy and doesn't think human activity causes climate change or that it exacerbates extreme weather. Although activists have criticized Biden's stance on climate change, his track record in government this term positions him well on the issue of climate action.