The Race is On!

On November 5, 2024, our entire country will vote for the next President. But we, as middle schoolers, have to just sit here and watch. What? That’s so unfair. However, on Monday, the entire school gets to vote. Who would you vote for, and why? Would you vote for Vice President Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party, or former President Donald Trump from the Republican Party ?

Although middle school students cannot vote, there are a couple things we can do during an election season. The first thing is to watch the polls! Polls are surveys conducted by newspapers, universities, research institutes, or other civic organizations. They are not always accurate, but they provide estimates of what voters think about presidential candidates. It is fun to watch the polls. 

The second thing is to research the issues underlying the election. Election issues are the problems Harris and Trump are proposing to solve if they become president. I’ve got that covered here. With all that said, let’s delve deeper into the main issues the country is facing, and these issues may decide the outcome of the election.

Issue 1: Immigration 1, 2

Immigration is probably the hottest issue in this election cycle.  Immigration is the process of moving from one country to another country.  Generally, one needs a visa (government’s permission) before entering another country.  If someone obtains a visa or other necessary permissions before entering a country, they are called legal immigrants. However, if someone enters the country without a visa or other necessary permission, they are called illegal immigrants.  How to deal with legal and illegal immigration in the US has been a dividing issue among Americans.  

Unfortunately, immigration is not a simple issue.  Because, not everyone who comes to the US is a good person.  Criminals, spies, and troublemakers should not be allowed into the country. But, how would we know the troublemakers from the good guys? Also, how many people should the US allow to come into the country? Should we treat the legal immigrants and illegal immigrants differently? Harris and Trump both have different ideas. 

Harris’ Point of View

Harris and her democratic party are generally considered lenient on the issue of immigration.  Harris proposes that immigrants, whether legal or illegal, should be welcome in the United States, and they all should have a pathway to citizenship.  In simple words, the United States should welcome new people and allow them to eventually become US citizens.

Trump’s Point of View

Trump’s view on immigration is very different from that of Harris.  Trump wants to focus on the safety of the country and managing the immigration process.  For example, during his presidency, he enacted enhanced background checks on immigrants so that criminals do not enter the country.  He also proposes to build a wall at the southern border of the US to deter immigrants from illegally entering into the US.   

Issue 2: NATO/Ukraine 1,3

NATO stands for North American Treaty Organization.  It is basically an alliance of several countries which promise to help protect each other.  Ukraine wants to join the alliance and Russia does not want Ukraine to join. 

Harris’ Point of View

   The Russia-Ukraine war is a difficult problem to solve.  The vice president generally supports Ukraine’s right to defend itself.  She wants to focus on strengthening cooperation among NATO member countries and mounting a unified front against Russia.  Her campaign website does not have a strong viewpoint on the war.  So far, the Biden-Harris administration has provided strong support to Ukraine including military and other aid worth billions of dollars.  

Trump’s Point of View

Trump’s approach is starkly different from that of the current administration.  Trump has argued that the United States should not have allowed the war to even start.  He has also vowed to end the war before he becomes the president.  He has so far provided few details on how he would achieve this.  Nonetheless, he has suggested that friendly relations with Russian president Putin can help resolve the matter. 

Regarding NATO, Trump wants accountability from allies.  For example, he wants all NATO member countries to contribute fairly towards NATO, and stop the United States from taking a disproportionately higher share of the NATO obligations.  

Issue 3: Tariffs/Trade 1,4

International trade is an important economic issue.  The United States has long been a proponent of free and fair trade between countries.  However, some countries unfairly favor their domestic industry at the cost of others.  Such unfair practices adversely affect American business and industry.  To counter unfair practices of other countries, the United States imposes tariffs on products from those countries.  Lately, unfair practices from China have been the focus of attention for the American government. 

Harris’ Point of View

Harris generally proposes to boost trade with Europe and Asia.  However, with respect to China, Harris is open to imposing tariffs.  The Biden-Harris administration mostly maintained the tariffs on China which were originally imposed during the Trump administration.  Harris’s position in a nutshell is to promote trade and use tariffs sparingly.  

Trump’s Point of View

On tariffs, particularly with respect to China, both candidates support the idea of tariffs. However, Trump proposes aggressive use of Tariffs to protect American industry and generally promote American made goods.  He also proposes reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose tariffs on American goods.  Further, to protect national security, he proposes to ban foreign companies from owning critical infrastructure (like ports) in America.    

Here, I have summarized views of Harris and Trump on three key issues.  We now have to wait until November 5th to see who wins the election. Mr. Paulhus, on Monday, will host an in-person election where he will put up a stand to fill in your vote and put it in a box. So, who will you pick to be the next president of the United States? Put your vote in on Monday!

References:

1. “Here’s where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on key issues, from democracy and immigration to tariffs and trade”, WHYY PBS, September 10, 2024, Here’s where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on key issues, from democracy and immigration to tariffs and trade 
2. “Harris vs. Trump on immigration: Where they stand on the issue”, The Washington Post, September 10, 2024   

Harris vs. Trump on immigration: Where they stand on the issue – Washington Post

1.  “Trump, Harris deeply divided over NATO, Ukraine”, The Hill, October 28, 2024 Trump, Harris deeply divided over NATO, Ukraine      
2. “Trump and Harris Embrace Tariffs”, New York Times, August 27, 2024

Harris and Trump Embrace Tariffs, Though Their Approaches Differ