The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a talk by Prof K. P. Vijayalakshmi on “Internal Political Dynamics in the US: Implications on India and the World” on 27 January 2023. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF chaired the session and made welcome remarks. The talk was followed by a discussion and question and answer session.
The talk highlighted three important trends post-midterm elections in the US. First, the results have shown President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party in a good light. Second, the newly elected Speaker Kevin McCarthy seems not to be in a position of strength given the concessions made with the House Freedom Caucus to secure the seat. Third, the Republicans have gained a narrow majority in the Lower House, the House of Representatives, in these elections while the Democrats have secured control of the Senate leaving a divided Congress for the next two years. This would result in a number of legislative compromises being made by both parties.
Donald Trump's reelection campaign for the Presidential elections in 2024 as well as his dwindling popularity within the Republican Party were prominent topics of discussion. A number of domestic issues such as inflation, gun control, abortion rights, cultural wars, healthcare, immigration, energy and climate change were highlighted. The impact of a lame-duck Congress on foreign policy issues including US-China relations, aid to Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, cyber-security, and opportunities and challenges in the India-US partnership in defence, trade, and technology sectors were also deliberated upon during the talk.
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