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POLITICS

Decoding the 2024 Presidential Race: The Ultimate Election Day Cheat Sheet

Written By: Morgan Bernard

Breaking Down What Policies Are on the Ballot This November?

The current election cycle is filled with noise, unprecedented event after unprecedented event, and news coverage that rarely seems to touch on actual policy. Many Americans have been caught up in the cult of personality contest this election has become, without realizing which policies either side represents. This election has been historically bizarre and unique. To many, it may seem easier to throw the towel in and give up on voting entirely, but there’s a lot at stake in this cycle, from a woman’s right to choose to the future of the Supreme Court and so much more. Follow us as we wade through the noise and decode the 2024 presidential race and give you the ultimate voter cheat sheet organized by policy, so you can feel confident at the ballot box.

Campaign Chaos

In a few short summer weeks, we saw an unhinged primary candidate debate, two assassination attempts, and the incumbent, President Joe Biden, drop out of the race, and Vice President Kamala Harris secure the Democractic nominateon. With years’ worth of news cycling through the media in what has felt like the world’s strangest election cycle, it can be easy to lose sight of what this election is about—women’s reproductive rights, immigration, healthcare, taxes, the Supreme Court, trade, and foreign policy.

Women's Reproductive Rights

Since Trump’s first term in office, he’s made it one of his central policies to oppose abortion and effectively repeal Roe versus Wade which he made possible with his Supreme Court selections. In the 2024 election, Democrats, now led by Harris, seek to undo some of the damage that Trump and the Supreme Court have done to women’s reproductive rights by establishing federal abortion protections. While Trump has boasted that he “broke Roe v. Wade,” he’s since openly stated that the backlash may cost him and his party the election. Trump has slightly changed his tune on abortion, saying that it should be left up to the states.This policy is equally threatening to women and their reproductive rights, particularly in conservative states. Vice President Harris has made abortion access a central focus of her campaign, with awillingness to discuss the topic at length. that her predecessor lacked.

Immigration

Immigration is an increasingly critical issue. Trump and the far right coined the term “migrant violence,” which has fueled a false narrative that illegal immigration is leading to a wave of violent crime plaguing the nation. President Trump has claimed that migrants are .”poisoning the blood of our country ” and plans to institute several strict immigration policies that could include dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and combining it with other immigration enforcement units in other agencies, creating a much larger and more powerful border policing operation. When Harris ran for the Democratic nominee in 2020, she took several progressive stances on immigration, including supporting undocumented immigrants’ eligibility for healthcare and decriminalizing border crossings. As part of the Biden Administration, Harris sought to combat the root causes of the recent migrant surge—poverty. Harris secured significant private sector pledges to support Central America and backed a bipartisan border deal to strengthen the border patrol presence, which ultimately failed. Harris has taken a different tactic when addressing immigration in this election cycle, referencing her time as State Attorney General in California, where she was seen as tough on gang violence across borders. Harris has pointed to Trump’s role in tanking the bipartisan-supported immigration reform bill. She supports a policy reflective of that bill’s goals, increased border security, and an established pathway to citizenship.

Healthcare

Trump has reputedly criticized the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and spent his four-year tenure fighting to repeal the ACA. In November, he called for revisiting his plans to terminate the ACA, claiming he only wants to change the law, not end it. Trump plans to promote choice and free market healthcare. Despite claims, Trump and his allies say they will not cut funding from Medicare. Vice President Harris has shifted from the “Medicare for All” plan she proposed during the 2020 Democratic primary. The Vice President now supports the ACA passed under the Obama administration, which currently provides low-premium health insurance to 45 million Americans. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, insulin prices were capped at $35 monthly. The Inflation Reduction Act now allows Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies to improve access to costly drugs.

Taxes

The bulk of the Trump tax cuts, which Republicans passed in 2017, will expire in 2025. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, benefited several groups. Corporations’ tax rate was reduced from 35 to 21 percent. Wealthy individuals saw a decrease in their tax rate from 39.6 to 37 percent and an increase in the estate tax exemption. The standard deduction for middle-class families was nearly doubled. Small businesses saw a 20 percent deduction for pass-through business income. Finally, investors were incentivized to invest with reduced corporate tax rates and the repatriation tax. Critics of the bill point out that it disproportionality benefited the wealthy and corporations. Congress and the winner of the 2024 election will decide the immediate future of U.S. tax law. Trump has said his policies include an extension of the 2017 tax cuts. While Harris has not released a formal tax plan, her predecessor, President Joe Bidden, favored increasing taxes on the wealthy while pledging not to raise taxes on individuals who make under $400 000 a year.

The Supreme Court

The proof is in the pudding when it comes to the candidate’s stance on Supreme Court policy and federal court nominations. Trump has filled the Supreme and federal courts with conservative allies, which effectively allowed him to repeal Roe v. Wade and establish partial immunity for his time in office. Vice President Harris has embraced President Biden’s calls for structural changes to the nation’s highest court. Throughout his time in office, Biden faced pressure from liberal members of his party to confront the Supreme Court and its decisive impact on issues like abortion, gun rights, religion, and the environment. While Biden did appoint a commission to study potential changes to the Supreme Court, .he’s done little else. Many Democrats are hopeful Harris will be more active than Biden in addressing the issues of the court.

Trade

Trump has been a long-time skeptic of the standing U.S. trade deals. He’s actively pushing for a”10 percent tariff on all imports. He recently told Fox News that it could be 60 percent or “more than that” on imports from China. The Biden-Harris administration opposes the sweeping tariffs, claiming they would raise inflation. In a White House Memo, the administration claimed the proposed policy would raise prices by $1 500 per American family per year. Under the Biden campaign, Harris supported efforts to boost domestic manufacturing with heavy federal investments in semiconductors and electric vehicles.

Foreign Policy

The two candidates differ significantly in their foreign policy stance. Trump is vehemently opposed to Ukraine aid and has openly criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and repeatedly voiced isolationist views. A Harris presidency would likely continue the Biden-era support of Ukraine. The Vice President has signaled that she will not shift from Biden’s unwavering support of NATO and will continue to support Ukraine. Both candidates remain supportive of the Israeli government. President Trump has positioned himself as a champion of Israel and condemned pro-Palestinian protesters. Harris, however, has claimed Israel has a right to defend itself but acknowledges the sheer scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of civilians and the dire humanitarian situation in the region. Whether we like it or not, our choices for the 2024 presidential election are set in stone. Regardless of how you feel about either candidate, there’s no denying there is a lot at stake this November. The state of American politics is undeniably disheartening. If you feel your views aren’t represented in this election and that you’re better off not participating, I encourage you to view democracy like you would public transportation. Keep your ideal end destination in mind, and pick the candidate that gets you the closest. Each election cycle, from your local election to the presidential race, offers a different line to take to get you closer to where you ultimately want to go.
TrooRa Magazine
Written by

Morgan Bernard

Photo Credit

Istock, Pexels.com

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Art Issue 2024 Edition 25
Marking a milestone with our 25th issue, TrooRa Magazine’s Art Issue 2024 (Special Edition) explores the transformative power of creativity as a force for healing, unity, and change.