Who will Govern the Land of the Free?
With Barack Obama’s time in the White House drawing to an end, the presidential campaign in the U.S. is sparking opinions in minds all over the world. Before diving into the presidential candidates, how does the U.S. voting system work?
Based on population, the American states are divided into numerous districts and the voted-in elect is appointed into the House of Representatives. An election for a new representative is held every two years. The senators are also voted in to serve a 6-year-long term, and a third of them will run for re-election every 2 years. For the presidential election, the campaigns can last for as long as 2 years. This voting system is called the Electoral College – the candidate with the most votes wins and must appoint a vice-president.
The two main Democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Although they are both promoting women’s rights, a sustainable environment and strengthening the pay of the middle class, Sanders also directs his attention towards racial equality and making college tuition free.
The most well-known Republican candidates are Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Rick Santorum and Donald Trump. On the Republican spectrum, there is big talk about oil, standards of traditional marriage between men and women and boosting the economy. Currently, the Republican candidate harbouring the most worldwide interest is Donald Trump. This rich businessman who cannot be bribed by company endorsements believes that a wall should be built between the U.S. and Mexico. For his policies on immigration reform, he calls for the “mandatory return of all criminal aliens.” Looks like E.T. is no longer welcome in America.
According to CNN Politics as of October 13th 2015, about 27% of Democratic voters plan to vote for Clinton and 25% for Sanders. In addition, the polls are quickly rising for both Trump and Carson. Polls find that at least 25% of Republican voters plan to vote for Trump and 20% for Carson; however, a NBC poll concludes that 59% of Republican voters say they may support Trump in the near future.
On November 8th 2016, the U.S. presidential elections will be held. Millions of citizens all over the nation are expected to be voting. Can change really be brought to the States? Remember the words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
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