LJMU academics assess US Election race

A week out from one of the most potentially consequential US elections in history, academics from LJMU assess some of the key factors which may decide the outcome.

America goes to the polls on Tuesday 5 November, with millions having already voted by post, to decide whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will become the nation’s next president.

The campaign has seen President Joe Biden stepping down, VP Harris becoming the Democratic candidate and an assassination attempt on former President Trump. Our academics share their thoughts on the race for the White House in the video above and in more detail below:

Dr Matthew Hill, Subject Lead in International Relations discusses some of the factors which make this year's election so hard to call.

With women’s rights a major issue in this campaign following the Supreme Court's 2022 overturning of the Roe vs Wade judgment, Dr Andrea Livesey, Lecturer in History talks about the historical significance of women protecting their reproductive rights and control of their bodies.

Meanwhile, as VP Harris aims to become the first female Black president, Dr Laura Gillespie, Lecturer in History, discusses the significance of Black female political activism and the impact it has had in previous elections from the civil war onwards.