On 6 November 2024, the Centre for Advanced International Studies at the School of International Studies, within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), hosted a roundtable discussion titled “US Presidential Elections: Chinese and European Perspectives.” Over 100 staff and students gathered to explore the election’s implications for the global landscape.

Dr David Kiwuwa, Head of the School of International Studies, chaired the event. The panel featured Dr Joseph Askew, Dr Abigail Blyth, and Professor Joost Herman from the School of International Studies, alongside Professors Sarah Cook and Paolo Epifani from the School of Economics.

The panel examined party polarization’s growing impact, highlighting increasingly stark divisions among voters. The widening policy gap between Democrats and Republicans, they noted, has reduced voters’ willingness to consider opposing party candidates. They emphasized swing states’ crucial role, where shifting demographics require candidates to adopt flexible policy platforms.

On economic policy, the panel contrasted Harris’s “Opportunity Economy” plan promoting social prosperity through economic fairness with Trump’s “America First” agenda advocating trade protectionism. Regarding international policy, they analysed Harris’s multilateral approach versus Trump’s unilateral preferences.

Professors Cook and Epifani provided detailed analyses of gender and immigration policies’ influence on voter support, examining how Harris’s positions might affect voter preferences across demographics.

[Update: As election results emerged, Trump secured a decisive victory, winning every swing state and outperforming his 2020 showing across all counties. The magnitude of his victory—winning a solid majority of the popular vote for the first time since a Republican achieved this in 2004—brings into sharp focus the panel’s earlier discussions about demographic shifts and economic concerns. Exit polls revealed Trump winning a majority of Hispanic men, while maintaining strong support among working-class voters across racial lines. The election demonstrated how inflation’s impact on real wages between 2021-2022 emerged as a decisive factor, superseding traditional demographic voting patterns—a dynamic the panel had identified as potentially significant.]

This roundtable provided the UNNC community with valuable insights into international political dynamics. Students engaged with diverse perspectives in a meaningful academic setting, enriching their knowledge of global affairs. One student from the School of International Studies shared, “This was a great opportunity to engage in face-to-face discussions with professors and fellow students interested in global politics, fostering a rich exchange of ideas.”

The School of International Studies maintains its commitment to cultivating exceptional talent with global perspectives through academic activities. This roundtable served as a window into political science’s complexities, strengthening students’ academic literacy and critical thinking abilities.