Q: Whatever the final vote count, what does the closeness of the race mean to the dynamics within the Democratic Party and the authority of Biden’s leadership of it?

When it comes to governing, mandates matter. Even if Biden ekes out a win, he will enter the White House knowing that nearly half of all American voters supported another candidate. That surely weakens Biden’s bargaining position with Republicans on Capitol Hill. Less appreciated, however, is that it could also reduce Biden’s strength within his own party.

Q: What does the closeness of the race mean for Trump’s ongoing position within the Republican party?

Even if Trump can’t pull out a win, the closeness of the election points to a clear take-away: support for Trump within the Republican Party remains strong. That makes it hard for critics to write off Trump’s success in 2016 as a fluke. It also means that, regardless of the Republican Party’s future, it’s likely to maintain some non-trivial “Trumpian” elements.

Q: Voter turnout has broken records in the 2020 election. But what does the popular vote margin for both candidates reveal about how divided America still is?

America is divided. That much is clear. It’s not just divided on issues – about how to tackle climate change, what marginal tax rates should be, and what stance the government should take on US-China trade. It’s divided about the meaning of America itself.

Q: It’s looking likely that whoever is elected may not control both the House and the Senate. How difficult will it be for him to govern?

Divided government always implies gridlock. Yet it doesn’t mean the gears of policymaking in Washington totally grind to a halt. Presidents are generally less constrained by Congress in foreign policy compared to domestic policy. If elected, for example, Biden could re-engage the US with the Paris Climate Agreement , rejoin the Iran nuclear deal , or roll back the trade war with China . Increasingly, presidents have also turned to executive orders to push through their agendas in the face of Congressional resistance.

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What Would The Tight Results Mean for Democrats And Republicans?

While Joe Biden edges closer to the White House, he has not secured the resounding landslide against Republicans.

Thomas Gift

Published: 06 Nov 2020, 5:02 PM IST

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As vote counting continued in key battleground states in the US election, Joe Biden edged closer to the White House while Donald Trump launched multiple lawsuits. Whatever the final result, Democrats have not secured the resounding landslide against Republicans many of them had hoped for. Thomas Gift, associate professor and director of the Centre on US Politics at UCL, looked at what the close margin of the race means for both parties.

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What Would The Tight Results Mean for Democrats And Republicans?

While Joe Biden edges closer to the White House, he has not secured the resounding landslide against Republicans.

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Topics: Republicans Joe Biden donald trump