Student Forum Newsletter

2024 U.S. Presidential Election: Republicans Achieve a Political Trifecta
SOON AFTER AMERICANS voted in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, it became apparent that something unexpected was afoot. Most pollsters and political pundits had anticipated a tight race between the Republican and Democrat presidential nominees—President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

However, as states reported their ballot counts into the evening and next day, Trump ended up winning the popular vote and the electoral college vote in a resounding victory. By the day after the election, Harris had conceded to Trump.

What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. Every four years, when a presidential election is held, the electors vote for the president and vice president.

Why does the Electoral College matter?
It’s the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, that determines who wins the presidency.

How many electors are there in the Electoral College?
A total of 538 votes are divided among the 50 states and District of Columbia.
There’s an elector for every member of the House of Representatives (435) and Senate (100), plus three for the District of Columbia.

How are the number of electors allocated per state?
There are two senators for each state, but the allocation of seats in the House is based on population.

2024 ELECTION DEBATES

Presidential Debate
Date: September 10, 2024
Host: ABC News
Kamala Harris vs. Donald J. Trump
Democrat Republican

Vice Presidential Debate
Date: October 1, 2024
Host: CBS News
Tim Walz vs. JD Vance
Democrat Republican

EYES ON THE ELECTION
America’s eyes are finally fixated on the 2024 presidential election. Recent shakeups have upended the state of U.S. politics, adding an unexpected twist to the storyline.

Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Implement 32-hour Workweek

IN MARCH, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) introduced the “Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act” in their respective chambers. If passed, the legislation would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to reduce the standard workweek from 40 to 32 hours per week for non-exempt (salaried) employees.

Over a four-year period, the legislation would lower the threshold required for overtime pay, from 40 to 32 hours; require overtime pay at a rate of 1.5 times a worker’s regular salary for workdays longer than 8 hours; and require overtime pay at double a worker’s regular salary for workdays longer than 12 hours.

Due to technological advances in automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence, Sanders says U.S. businesses can now afford to give employees more time off without cutting their pay.

Back in the Saddle Again: U.S. Voters Face Election Rematch

ON MARCH 5, U.S. voters participated in the Super Tuesday contests, resulting in both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump securing their respective parties’ nominations for president, setting up a déjà vu of the 2020 election.

Shortly after Super Tuesday, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley announced she was suspending her campaign, leaving Trump with no major opponents left to block him from becoming the 2024 Republican nominee.

For the first time in more than 60 years, the 2024 presidential election will be a rematch, forcing U.S. voters to choose between the same two presidential candidates from the 2020 election.

The last presidential rematch came in 1956, when Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower again defeated Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic opponent he had four years prior.

The 2024 general election promises to be a bitter fight, with both candidates facing more negatives than they did in 2020—Trump beset by legal woes and Biden confronting multiple criticisms, including the hyperinflation of today’s economy. Both candidates are older—Biden is 81 and Trump is 77—and deeply polarizing.

As the two campaigns pivot to the general election, voters face a choice between candidates whose differences reflect a nation split not just by political preference but also by profound social, ideological, and cultural divisions.

Senate Passes National Security Package, but Prospects Look ‘Iffy’ in House
ON FEB. 13, senators passed a national security package to provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The foreign-aid measure includes $95.3 billion in funding, down from the original $118.3 billion which included funds and policy provisions to secure the southern border. The so-called “Plan B” bill was supported by the White House.

Many Republicans opposed the motion, saying they wanted border measures added back into the bill.

“We should lock in an effort to make the border better,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). “I think this is a really bad idea. You’re actually losing votes for Ukraine here. Some people believe that the border hasn’t been adequately addressed. I agree.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson Blames Biden for Border Crisis During Texas Visit
ON JAN. 3, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) traveled with 60 other House Republicans to Eagle Pass, Texas, to assess the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. At the same time, Republican and Democratic senators attempted to negotiate a border agreement as part of a funding package for aid to Ukraine and Israel, and border security.

“If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin by defending America’s national security,” Johnson said. “It begins right here on our southern border.”

Border Crisis Stats
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, encounters at the Southwest border in FY2023 increased over 40% since FY2021, 4% compared to FY2022, and more than 100% compared to FY2019, making last fiscal year the highest on record.

House Elects Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker
ON OCT. 25, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected as Speaker of the House, after weeks of infighting that saw Republicans reject three nominees before turning to Johnson to end the deadlock.

Johnson received votes from all 220 Republicans present. Democrats nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as speaker; he received votes from all 209 Democrats present.

“The people’s house is back in business,” Johnson said in remarks in the House chamber following his election. He thanked Republicans for their trust in him and vowed to work with Democrats where possible.

McCarthy Ousted as House Speaker, GOP Scrambles to Choose Nominee

ON OCT. 3, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted as House speaker by far-right Republicans along with Democrats, ending his nine months in the position and sending a fractious Congress into further disarray.

The ousting was set in motion by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who followed through on the threat he made to remove McCarthy if he relied on Democratic votes to pass any spending legislation—as he did to narrowly avert a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

McCarthy’s ousting marked the first time in U.S. history that a speaker of the House was removed from office.