On the 3rd November 2020, the United States Presidential Election had a record turnout. With an estimated 161 million individuals turning up to the polling booths, the country spoke loud and clear on the future it desires.
The election marked the end of Donald Trump’s time in the White House and the beginning of Joe Biden’s. This changing of the guard said, simply, that America is open to building a different world than the one it believed it wanted in 2016.
A burgeoning interest in politics
As we mentioned in our opening paragraph, the record voter turnout in the US is symbolic of a burgeoning interest in politics, both within the country and outside of it. Indeed, this trend was so marked that bookmakers were offering odds on the outcome well in advance of election day, with a variety of markets available for those betting on politics such as individual state bets and the outcome of the election.
This hasn’t changed overnight but represents an evolved attitude toward politics. This is evidenced by the fact these same bookmakers are already offering predictions for the 2024 contest, with Michelle Obama currently given odds of 33/1. Other frontrunners include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 12/1, Bernie Sanders at 33/1, Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Kanye West, and even Leonardo DiCaprio at 80/1.
This same trend is seen among the civilian population too. It’s not merely an abstract concept, but one that is increasingly defining the way we live our lives. We’re more political; more cognizant of policy decisions and how they impact the individuals around us.
What voters are saying, loudly, is that they want their views to be heard and for their country to reflect them.
Growing social awareness
Politics comes down to personal choice, and what one individual might ardently believe may be anathema to another. However, what we can say with objectivity is that this growing interest in politics stems primarily from a growing awareness of certain social issues. Foremost on the agenda in 2020 were two: racial division and inequality and access to healthcare.
The first, in particular, played a significant role in the result of this election, with the Black Lives Matter movement having gained global traction earlier in the year. Added to this, the President also found the country he headed in severe economic difficulty as the year wore on.
It was a combination of factors – a perfect storm – but one that awoke a renewed interest in politics on both sides. With red and blue reacting to the defining issues of 2020, many realized that if they wanted their voices to be heard, the best place to speak was in the polling booth.
But can such a trend endure beyond this brief moment in time? The answer is ‘yes, undoubtedly’, for none of these issues are likely to be fully resolved four years from now. How they are handled will tell all in the end, with America having found its voice and unwilling to become complacent again.
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