News
The 2024 Presidential Election
Sahar Ali
Volume 5 Issue 2
November 25, 2024
Image Provided by Elaine Ching
The 2024 Presidential Election
The moment we wait for every four years is on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, when all eligible Americans can cast their vote for the next President of the United States of America. This year’s candidates are Republican Former President Donald Trump, and Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris.
The 2024 presidential election is going to be a close one. According to 270toWin, many states are closely split between the Republican and Democratic candidates. Although both candidates have a good shot at winning the election, they have many different views about key issues including abortion and immigration. To better understand Trump and Harris’s opinions on these issues, it is vital to understand the political backgrounds of their parties.
The Republicans
Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, represents the more conservative ideals. Essentially, the Republican Party is not as liberal when compared to the Democratic party in terms of social policies. However, the party favors a laissez-faire economy, in which the government is more laid back and does not interfere as much by regulating the free-market system.
The Democrats
Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate who replaced President Joe Biden in the race, represents a more liberal aspect of democracy. Historically, the democratic party has supported government intervention in the economy and continues to stand today as a part of the Democratic Party’s policies.
Abortion
During his time campaigning, Donald Trump has been inconsistent with his point of view regarding abortion. The Republican Party is more conservative with 57% of its members asserting that abortion “should be illegal in all or most cases” (Pew Research Center). His opponent, Kamala Harris, claims that Trump will enforce a nationwide abortion ban, which Trump claims he will not do. According to CBS News, Trump favors abortion in the cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk. Trump also claims that his “administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights” (CBS News). Trump does face backlash from conservatives when he claims he is somewhat in favor of abortion; therefore, understanding his stance on abortion is muddy.
Kamala Harris, on the other hand, has made the issue of abortion a major aspect of her campaign as she stands for women’s choice regarding their bodies. Harris stated during her campaigning, “Ours is a fight for the future and it is a fight for freedom, like the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do” (CBS News). Harris’s stance on abortion is obvious as she claims that she would not allow an abortion ban to be signed into law; she also claims that when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive rights throughout the nation, she will sign it.
Immigration
After the inconsistencies with immigration policies in the Biden Administration, Trump, if elected, intends to make immigration stricter and plans to carry out “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” (Peterson Institute for International Economics). Trump also plans to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants; this means that if undocumented parents have a child in the United States, the child will not automatically be a citizen. He also plans to deport pro-Palestinian student protestors along with their visas and abolish humanitarian parole. Trump also plans to extend his wall at the border between the United States and Mexico to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border (Peterson Institute for International Economics).
Like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris acknowledges the fact that the American immigration system has holes in it which require patching. She claims that the US immigration system “needs to be repaired, and we are working on that in a way that we establish a safe, humane and orderly immigration system at the border” (Peterson Institute for International Economics). According to the Peterson Insititute for International Economics, Harris differs from Trump in that she hopes to increase asylum eligibility as well as increase pathways to legal immigration.
Although both candidates differ in their thought processes, it is up to Americans to make their choice on who they hope to see in office for the next four years. Remember to conduct research on the candidate you are voting for; not only does it increase an individual’s knowledge of current events, but understanding why you are voting for a certain candidate makes one a smarter voter. After all, the presidential election comes every four years, giving us citizens the ability to voice our opinions through our ballots.
SOURCES:
2024 Presidential Election Polls: Harris vs. Trump - 270toWin
Republican Party | Definition, History, & Beliefs | Britannica
Trump and Harris' views on abortion and IVF access, explained - CBS News
Trump vs. Harris on immigration: Future policy proposals | PIIE