American Elections 2024 - Trump/Biden: the Rematch?

Proposals focusing on the Democratic president’s term of office and the key events that punctuated it are sought. The focus will be on Biden’s policies, in particular his economic stimulus policy embodied in his “Build Back Better Plan”. We may wonder why the effects of this proactive policy are not being perceived positively by a large portion of the American people despite some obvious results that helped the US recover from the economic downturn triggered by the pandemic.

If Donald Trump seems to have won the primaries beforehand, as evidenced by his victories in the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, and if he can count on the unfailing support of his “Maga Republican” base, he will nevertheless have to convince the moderates, and above all, the independents, bearing in mind that he has never won the popular vote. To do this, what strategy will he put in place? What ideas will he include in his program? How will it differ from the policies he pursued during his term of office? More generally, what impact would a new Trump presidency have on the Republican Party?

In 2020, Joe Biden’s election was made possible by his victory in key swing states such as Michigan, Arizona and Georgia, which he took back from Trump and more generally from the Republicans thanks to the on-the-ground efforts of local party members. What are the dynamics structuring these states in 2024? What has the Democratic Party done to continue mobilizing decisive
electorates to ensure Biden’s re-election? Are demographic changes in certain states (e.g. Texas) likely to alter the Electoral College results? What about the credibility of the vote and of American democracy, given that the governors of some Southern states have severely restricted access to the vote, particularly for minorities? Will minorities, who had given victory to Biden in a particular context linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, mobilize as much in 2024?

With the current geopolitical situation marked by large-scale conflicts (e.g. the war in Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tensions in the Gulf of Aden, etc.), what are the two presidential candidates’ positions on these issues? Between a wavering internationalist tradition and overt isolationism, Biden and Trump seem to embody two diametrically opposed foreign policies. In the face of China’s rise to power, the role of the United States has been increasingly called into question, raising the question of the country’s role on the international stage. Traditional lines of force have been challenged by the war in Ukraine, and the military-diplomatic hegemony of the United States no longer seems as strong as it used to be, particularly on the African and South American continents.

Papers may also address more institutional issues, and in particular the role
played by the Supreme Court in such far-reaching decisions as the end of constitutional protection of the right to abortion, or the questioning of the principle of affirmative action. The articulation between the three powers will be at the heart of concerns over the next four years. Given Trump’s latest statements, are we in danger of seeing a return to the “imperial presidency”?