POLI 330N Week 5 Discussion: The Roles of Congress and The Presidency (Option 2)

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POLI 330N Week 5 Discussion: The Roles of Congress and The Presidency (Option 2) Professor and Class, Option 2: What characteristics do you think voters look for when choosing a president? D... o you think voters choose the characteristics they are looking for depending on the socioeconomic and political environment - lack of jobs, riots, COVID-19, environmental concerns and other issues etc.? Explain your answer. The main traits I believe are important to voters when choosing a president are trustworthiness, patriotic, educated, able to communicate clearly and effectively. Voters are influenced by the events directly effecting them and what's happening throughout the world. Because of this "modern presidents pay close attention to what the public wants, following public opinion polls closely and commissioning their own" (Greengerg & Page, 2018). Current events in both our country and throughout the world are a main focus for presidential candidates. The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of how current world events influence voter choices. Many have criticized how former President Trump handled the COVID pandemic in the US. Prior to the pandemic the unemployment rate was 3.5%, a 50 year low. As the number of COVID cases and the death toll rose the support for Trump dwindled. "If the number of COVID-19 cases had been 5 percent lower, Trump would have won Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin— likely resulting in his re-election" (Baccini, et. al., 2021). Despite Trump having an abundance of charisma, he had lost many supporters during this time. This can also be seen in how Trump addressed the BLM movement, often referring to protestors as "thugs" or "violent demonstrators". References: Baccini, L., Brodeur, A., & Weymouth, S. (2021). The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 US presidential election. Journal of population economics, 34(2), 739-767. Greenberg, E. S., & Page, B. I. (2018). The Struggle for Democracy, 2018 Elections and Updates Edition (12th Edition). Pearson Education (US). This study source was downloaded by 100000849840424 from CourseHero.com on 11-11-2022 23:34:29 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/121683015/Week-5-Discussion-The-Roles-of-Congress-and-The-Presidencydocx/ [Show More]

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