On Nov. 12, professor James Long hosted a discussion analyzing the results of the 2024 presidential election, featuring political science experts Victor Menaldo, Jessica Beyer, and Scott Lemieux. The UW department of political science has been hosting round-table discussions surrounding the 2024 political climate, in the “Democracy Discussions” series.
Held in Kane Hall one week after Election Day, the hour-and-a-half discussion saw a large turnout of UW students seeking to hear their professors’ thoughts concerning the future of democracy in the United States.
“I just want to get an outside view from professionals on what the election was like and what their perspective is,” Rin Waraich, a first-year student, said. “I want to process it a little better.”
The discussion focused mainly on concerns of election security, voter turnout, the future of the Democratic party, and concerns over the actions of the upcoming Trump administration. Long asked Beyer, Lemieux, and Menaldo about these different topics, taking into account each professor’s area of expertise. Beyer specializes in social spaces and state-society relations, while Menaldo holds his degree in comparative politics and political economy, and Lemieux focuses on public law and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Panelists focused on questions concerning the role of students and Generation Z in the election, the spread of misinformation and disinformation among social media platforms, robust checks and balances in the government, global waves of populism, and cyber-security threats.
A short period at the end of the round-table was dedicated to a Q&A, in which students posed concerns over the future of the federal department of education, the possibility of Trump refusing to leave office, and future civil unrest.
“I was pretty confident in my knowledge of the situation,” fourth-year student Luke VanHouten said. “But hearing from experts in the field definitely helped a lot.”
To end the discussion, the professors portrayed their ‘closing thoughts;’ their beliefs that the election was very secure, the idea that no one election is permanent, and the possibilities of political realignment.
Reach contributing writer Ella Goulet at [email protected]. X: @ella_goulet
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