NEW HAVEN, Connecticut ¨C Last month¡¯s expertly choreographed Democratic National Convention has added a frisson of excitement to the U.S. presidential election.
After President Joe Biden¡¯s historic decision in July to withdraw from the race (at which point Donald Trump was leading in the polls), the DNC marked the start of a new chapter, with Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, reinvigorating the Democratic base. The crowd¡¯s exuberance was palpable.
The Democrats¡¯ new momentum added a dramatic edge to the campaign as it enters its final months. As a political economist, however, I tend to focus on voters¡¯ views of the economy and, relatedly, the deep divide between Republicans and Democrats on the role of government in society ¡ª a difference that, should Trump win, could alter the United States¡¯ trajectory for years to come.
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