The 2020 U.S. presidential election: A litmus test

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of what lies ahead of the United States in the event that Donald John Trump either lost or won a reelection bid. The uncertainty of the election outcomes is what we refer to as a litmus test. In this paper, we reflect on the ongoing events shaping the United States ahead of the 2020 presidential election and their implications on the United States. We suggest that the election provide a litmus test in shaping the politics of the United States in answering numerous questions raised in the current Trump administration. We deduce that the election could give birth to the new form of Brexit in the form of “U.S. exit” in the event the United States ignores processes that foster institutional legitimacy and civic engagement to build lost “trust” in the Americanized system.

The long read: On the global relevance of the US elections

“…Not surprisingly, it has been suggested that the 2020 U.S. election is a litmus test (Kasadha et al, 2019) on whether American democracy will begin to heal its wounds or it will plummet into further troubles.…”