Issue Brief

presidential election, like national elections in most democracies, is mostly fought and won on domestic issues that have a direct bearing on the day-to-day lives of the American people. [...] Foreign policy issues, while still significant for a global power like the United States, is largely peripheral and episodic in terms of influencing voting patterns. Nevertheless, more than any other election in the world, the process and result of the U. S. [...] presidential election is keenly watched and has global repercussions. From the intra-party primaries to the presidential nominations, and then to the final verdict in November, candidates will have to grapple with a host of issues, based on which American voters will elect the next U. S. [...] The last election in 2020 did not transpire well, for the health of American democracy at home or its image abroad, with hardline Trump supporters, refusing to accept the verdict and storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The U. S. [...] presidential election, it is imperative to assess the issues and trends dominating the electoral landscape in America. [...] Domestic Issues and Election 2024: The Vibe and Reality As in previous elections, a number of issues will hog the spotlight this year as well. [...] Most alarmingly, Trump’s refusal to accept defeat in 2020, and the violent incidents that rocked the Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, are seen as unprecedented threats to a peaceful transition of political power in a democratic country. [...] Otherwise, there is a more or less bipartisan consensus on China as the pre-eminent threat to America’s global primacy, and more particularly in the Indo-Pacific. [...] foreign policy despite Trump’s unusual verbal bravado and out-of-script speeches.20 Even as the Biden administration, in December 2023, managed to pull together a package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine, the going has been getting tough with the Republicans in the U.S. [...] The Institute is dedicated to expanding understanding of international affairs, particularly the interrelationship between the issue areas of conflict, security and development.