The Presidential debates are now all over, with full attention turned to November 3rd, and Election Day. In the Republican camp, it’s incumbent President Donald Trump and his aide Mike Pence. While looking to bring change to America, former Vice-President and Democrat Joe Biden has teamed up with Kamala Harris. As is often the case, the debates were marred by personal jibes and ill-mannered quips, with a clear divide between the two candidates. But as the race for Presidency hots up, the 2020 Presidential election odds are very much in the favour of Biden. And it’s the candidates’ stance on key issues where the votes can be won or lost – so let’s take a look at both Trump and Biden’s policies ahead of Election Day.
Trump
Covid-19: a subject that has drawn Trump plenty of criticism for the way in which he has handled the pandemic, the President has vouched to find an effective vaccine for the virus. He has launched ‘Operation Warp Speed’ in the hope of developing and distributing an effective vaccine by the end of the year. Also, within this policy, he promises a ‘return to normal in 2021’. Whether or not he fulfils this, is another matter, but it’s a step in the right direction in uniting the country in their fight against the virus.
Jobs: with the downturn in economy, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump has promised a huge drive in creating new jobs – and has vowed to create 10 million jobs in 10 months, including 1 million small businesses. During his first three years in office, the President created 6.6 million jobs, an increase of 4.4% from the end of Obama’s term in the White House.
Law & order: another area in which Trump has harboured a fair amount of criticism – following the death of Minneapolis civilian, George Floyd, and the Black Lives Matter protests which have followed. Trump has promised to defend America’s police force, to protect police funding and hire more officers – particularly in areas which are deemed to be under threat by offences. He promises to take tougher action on attacks on police officers, as well a tougher stance on illegal immigration.
Tax plan: while Biden looks to increase corporation tax, Trump hopes to decrease it – from 21 to 20%. He aims to get the majority of the nation on side, by lowering tax rates across the board – with the exception of retaining the 37% income tax rate on high earners. He’s considering a 10% tax cut on the middle classes, and will look to decrease the capital gains rate to a maximum of 15%.
Biden
Environment: with regards to addressing climate emergency, Biden has outlined an ambitious plan. He wants to ensure the USA achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050 – and he pledges to invest $2 trillion in infrastructure, including energy-efficient homes and social housing units. This funding will be a mixture of government funding and by increasing the corporate income tax rate – which we will touch upon further down. Furthermore, Biden looks to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.
Foreign policies: Biden has criticised Trump’s nationalism and has made it clear, he would look to build relationships with America’s allies, and repair relationships with the likes of the World Health Organization (WHO) and NATO. While Biden has been hugely critical of Brexit, he would look to enter into another deal with Iran (previously agreed under Obama, but quashed under Trump).
Health Care: throughout his campaign, Biden has made it clear that health care is a key priority. It’s an issue that he has strong views on, particularly as it’s something that has affected him so personally – his first wife died in a car crash in the 1970s and more recently, in 2015, his son died of brain cancer. Health care is an issue he has also clashed over with his fellow democratic candidates. He does not support the universal public health insurance plan, which his former rival Bernie Sanders endorsed. But should he become President, Biden has said he will expand the Affordable Care Act, which was introduced under Obama in 2010.
Tax plan: Biden has announced that he would raise taxes amongst the country’s wealthiest inhabitants – those who earn more than $400,000 per year. He would also impose a marginal tax increase, so the more that someone earns over the threshold, the more tax they’ll have to pay. He also revealed that corporate tax would increase from 21% to 29%, if he were to become President.
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