The Republicans have won by a slim majority in the House of Representatives. Still, journalists and political analysts worldwide rushed to point out that what was initially thought to be a red wave may have turned out to be only a small victory for the party. Nevertheless, the Republican Party has undoubtedly taken at least 218 seats in the lower chamber of Congress, causing the Democrats to rethink their strategy and focus on multiple issues that will reshape the next two years of Joe Biden’s presidency.
According to The Washington Post, the high cost of living in the US, its unsafe streets, and abortion were seen as key problems in the midterms. However, other issues have also played an important role in this election cycle and are likely to influence the 2024 US presidential election.
The State of the US Economy
According to Al Jazeera, the Republican Party has repeatedly indicated that the state of the US economy is a key issue in the midterm elections. Republicans have accused the Biden Administration of trying to divert the Americans’ attention from rising inflation. However, the American economy is also one of Joe Biden’s top priorities, and the President frequently promised to take bold steps to address the mounting inequality, as well as major concerns like inflation.
Access to Healthcare
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has exposed numerous existing vulnerabilities in the global healthcare sector, and the US was no exception. American scientists, physicians, and policymakers must now provide the population with some much-needed changes, including improved access to quality, affordable healthcare. President Joe Biden pledged to draft the Affordable Care Act to meet the healthcare demands caused by the recent crisis, lower healthcare costs for Americans, and make the system easier to navigate by everyone.
Climate Change
Recent global events such as the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), have provided new data suggesting that more needs to be done to reduce emissions and combat climate change. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stated that “we can and must win this battle for our lives.” According to Reuters, a coalition of developed countries, including the US and the UK, issued a draft proposal during the conference, that would provide aid to developing countries that are even more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change.
The Immigration Issue
The immigration issue is undoubtedly one of the most important problems facing the US recently. However, Gallup’s latest poll shows that only 8% of Americans considered immigration the nation’s most significant concern in October. While that’s up 2 percentage points from the 6% of Americans who said the same thing in September, it also falls short of the numbers from 2018-2019, when more than 20% of the Americans thought immigration to be the biggest concern.
The Erosion of Democracy
According to The Guardian, another major issue reported by American voters is the erosion of democracy. While people are indeed worried about things such as climate change, political violence, and Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine, recent threats to democracy are seen by many as the most important issue currently facing the US. In fact, according to an exit poll conducted by Edison Research, 70% of all American voters surveyed believe that the US democracy was under threat before and during the midterm elections.
The Supreme Court’s Ruling Overturning Roe v. Wade
Abortion has recently become one of the most critical issues impacting Americans following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. According to a new CNN poll, 72% of the voters surveyed said abortion had a major impact on their voting decision, while 52% called it extremely important. Equally important, 72% of Democratic women voters say abortion is an extremely significant issue that could influence their vote, as do 54% of independent women and 53% of Republican women.
Russia’s Unjust War in Ukraine
While domestic issues, such as inflation and other economic problems, crime, and immigration, are undoubtedly top priorities this election cycle, there is no question that America’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war remains extremely important. According to Gallup’s latest poll, 1% of Americans believe that the situation with Russia is the most important issue facing the country today. An equal number of American voters consider the war or the fear of war to be the country’s most important problem, while 1% say America’s top priority is actually foreign policy or an overseas focus.
