Introduction: From Trump to Biden

The chapter analyses the character of American politics and the significance of the transition from the presidency of Republican Donald Trump to Democrat Joe Biden. It assesses the impact of Trump's administration, including his refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the 2020 election result, on the increasingly polarized nature of party competition and on the divisions within American society. It evaluates the governing challenges facing the new administration which stem from its fragile control of Congress, bitter partisan opposition from the Republican Party and the range of serious policy problems to be addressed. Prominent among these policy problems (which are explored in detail in the subsequent chapters) are the management of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rebuilding of the American economy in its aftermath. The chapter uses the initiatives of Biden's first one hundred days in office to give a preliminary view of the new administration's approach. The chapter links the analysis of individual chapters on particular institutions and policy areas to the wider political framework and the functioning of American democracy. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.

Developments in American politics 9

This textbook provides students of US Politics with an informed scholarly analysis of recent developments in the American political environment, using historical background to contextualize contemporary issues. As the ninth edition, this book reviews a time of political controversy in the United States, touching on topics such as gender, economic policy, gun control, immigration, the media, healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the widespread social protests against police brutality. The book looks both backwards to Trump's presidency and forward to Biden's. Ultimately, the editors and contributors evaluate the significance of these events on the future of American politics, providing a perspective that is at once broad and meticulous. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.