EVERY FRIDAY, The Economist’s editors and correspondents bring you a global view on democracy in America. Each episode draws on the rigour and expertise of our network of journalists across the US and around the world. Going beyond the horse race, they examine the social and economic forces that are shaping politics and assess President Donald Trump’s record, the challenge from his Democratic opponents and how America’s international role is changing.
The coronavirus pandemic has been grim for admirers of America’s preeminence. The country that rallied allies to defend democracy and lead the world in scientific endeavour has been hit hardest by the coronavirus. China has sent medical supplies to American states, while the president brainstorms unlikely cures on live TV. Is America ceding global leadership? Maybe. One certainty is that fretting over the demise of the Republic is a longstanding American tradition.
In the latest episode we trace the origins of declinism in modern American politics and hear from someone who spent years preparing for societal breakdown, only for those plans themselves to unravel.
John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, hosts with Charlotte Howard, New York bureau chief, and Washington correspondent Jon Fasman.
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“We can corral the coronavirus,” Gov. Greg Abbott said, announcing his plan to reopen the Texas economy. Floridians have returned to the beaches and other Southern states are starting to relax restrictions on restaurants, gyms and hair salons. But public support for maintaining the lockdown remains strong. Can America reopen while keeping covid-19 at bay?
In last week’s episode we heard how Wisconsinites view the lockdown and a Bronx medic told us what it’s like on the frontline. We also found out where ending social distancing might be most risky.
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President Trump scored a big diplomatic win by pushing the main oil producing countries to agree to cut output. A price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, combined with the slump in demand caused by the coronavirus, had halved oil prices. Trump said the deal would save thousands of American energy jobs. But pushing for higher oil prices in an election year is a ploy more common in Caracas or Moscow than Washington DC. Has Donald Trump made America an energy superpower? How reliable is his bet on oil as an electoral strategy?
In April we assessed Trump’s deal, traced the origins of America’s obsession with energy independence, and debated whether fossil fuels or climate consciousness will win more votes.
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How do you hold a vote in the middle of a pandemic? Statewide elections in Wisconsin showed how hard it is to manage the logistics of democracy during a lockdown. A partisan fight over changes to the way votes are cast went all the way to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile the most expensive campaigns in history have had to rip up their plans and start again online.
We talked to election officials in Wisconsin, heard how electoral campaigns unfolded during the 1918 flu, and figured out what the current pandemic means for this year’s presidential race.
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