Every Vice president who competed in the election after the end of the presidential term, in whose administration held his post – Al Gore in 2000, George H. Bush in 1988, Richard Nixon in 1960 – must present himself simultaneously as a candidate for continuation and change. Continuation, due to the fact that it is hard to cut off from the administration policy, in which it was nominally 1 of the highest functions. Change, due to the fact that in order to unite voters around a fresh candidacy, you gotta present them with your own ideas, fresh policy proposals, any breathtaking narrative.
Now, as a candidate for continuation and change, she will gotta present herself to Kamala Harris. Most commentators agree that in foreign, economical and climate policy, a politician – if she defeats Donald Trump – will proceed the policies launched in 2021 by the Biden administration, attempting to implement the elements of the President-in-Office's agenda, which in the last 4 have been blocked in Congress. At the same time, the 2 most visible differences between Harris and Biden – age and sex – make the fresh candidate look at any issues from a somewhat different perspective, which can translate into a different policy if not different.
Bidenomika plus Economics of Concern
Surely Harris will proceed the fundamental principles of economical policy Bidena: an economy to build a broad mediate class, rebuild the American industrial base, invest in infrastructure, trade policy to defend American jobs, support for trade unions and labour rights, yet Green Transformation.
Harris supported AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. trade union headquarters, with 54 unions and about 10 million employees. As a California Senator (2017-2021), the Vice president has already built good relations with any unions, especially those working in the public sector, services and agriculture. Last Thursday, Harris. She met with representatives of the American Federation of Teachers Association. She attacked Republicans who, as she argued, alternatively of passing sensible regulations regulating access to assault weapons, want to arm teachers.
Biden's union base was much more concentrated among industrial workers, especially automobiles. The largest association of the latter, United car Workers, although it took him any time, supported the Democratic candidate on Wednesday.
For Harris' relation with unions, it may be crucial to elect a vice president. respective another unions – e.g. the transport staff – inactive did not declare their support for her. possibly they're waiting for the election of the vice president. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, 1 of the fewer Democrats in the legislature opposed to the PRO Act, a bill that facilitates worker association. Kelly's choice would not be well received by the trade unions and could be a signal that the Harris administration does not necessarily should be as pro-working as this Biden.
How says "Financial Times", Harris can add 2 issues to Biden's key economical themes: housing and "the economy of concern". The Vice president inactive as a senator dealt with tenant rights and rent control, and these topics may appear in her campaign. Like the promises of investments in pre-school care, paid parental leave, investment in education. On Tuesday, during the Atlanta rally, Harris actually raised these issues. Biden's administration tried to implement akin solutions but failed to get backing in Congress. Whether Harris succeeds will depend on what composition of the home of Representatives and the legislature will elect November elections.
Contributors of the Democratic Party, headed by the founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman, push on Harris to release as president the Biden-appointed head of the national Trade Commission, Linda Khan. Tien ideologically and politically to progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren Khan, appointed to her post by Biden as a motion against the party's left wing, she powerfully defended the American marketplace against monopolistic practices, especially from the technological sector. In its regulatory activity, it besides drew attention to consumer and worker rights. In this way, she made many enemies among billionaires in Silicon Valley and more.
Harris hasn't responded to these pressures so far. How she responds to them will be an crucial indicator of how her eventual presidency will disagree from Biden's presidency in the approach to large business.
Foreign Policy: Next Generation Bidenism
Experts Analyzer ‘Kamali Doctrine’ in abroad Policy for abroad Policy magazine is rather agreeable that Harris will proceed administration policy in key areas: support for Ukraine and attachment to NATO, to compete with China, to build economic, political and military ties in the Asia-Pacific region in order to halt the expansion of the mediate State or even conditional support for Israel.
At the same time, the very generational differences between Harris and Biden make her approach to global politics a small different. Biden, present in the legislature since 1973, has been shaped by the cold war and rivalry of the States with the USSR—which makes NATO a key American alliance for him. Harris, erstwhile the USSR fell apart, she was fresh out of law school and began her career as a prosecutor. The fresh Democratic candidate represents a generation of organization politicians who, without contesting the mainstream abroad policy of the Democratic Party, item fresh challenges specified as human rights, environmental and climate issues.
There are besides speculations in American media that the fresh administration is to lose key figures liable for co-shaping the current abroad and safety policy of the United States: defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, National safety Advisor Jake Sullivan, and State Secretary Anthony Blinken. As a possible successor to the latter, Philip H. Gordon, the closest advisor to Harris in global affairs is identified. The second most crucial for the fresh politician candidate is born in the early 1980s expert Rebbeca Friedman-Lister.
Four years ago Lister, together with Mira Rapp-Hooper, published a book-manifest An Open World. How America Can Win the competition for the Twenty-First-Century planet Order, presenting ideas for Washington's abroad policy after the pandemic and after Trump. Author draws a imagination of an active U.S. policy that engages in global support for democracy, combating the construction of closed spheres of influence by authoritarian regimes, preserving global common goods, supporting improvement and humanitarian objectives. You can anticipate these motives to be present in Harris' politics.
However, most differences with Biden's policy will be minimal. Harris may have been more careful about Beijing than Biden would have done in his second term, or may have been more active in calling for human rights to be respected by Washington allies like India.
The top hopes of a change in abroad policy in the event of Harris taking over the presidency are the progressive and pro-Palestinian environments linked to the policy towards Israel and Gaza. Since the beginning of the current conflict phase after the Hamas attacks of 7 October, the politician has expressed her concern over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip on respective occasions, peculiarly during the highly enthusiastically adopted speech by the American Left in March in the Parliament of Alabama, an icon for the American civilian Rights Movement. She besides called for ceasefires in Gaza.
When Netanjahu visited the United States last week, Harris did not appear at his speech in Congress. After gathering with the Israeli Prime Minister She saidThat she would not stay silent about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The way a politician approached the visit may signal that it will strengthen critical rhetoric towards Israel in the run to mobilise progressive electorate or sympathetic minorities from Palestine.
But will the real policy of Harris towards Israel, not just rhetoric, be anything different from this Biden? Will Harris be able to press Israel to force it to comply with global law, for example by threatening to halt military supplies?
Speaker Politico officials of Biden's administration, who resigned in protest of her policy towards Israel and Gaza, hold hope to the eventual presidency of Harris – even though it will take greater account of the Palestinian humanitarian situation. Washington officials speaking anonymously in article of the Times of Israel, they are much more sceptical on this issue. As the Israeli paper writes, although Harris has no specified relation with Israel as Biden, although she most likely wouldn't call herself a Zionist like the current president, she believes in the necessity of a judaic state and this will be the main origin determining its policy in the region.
How green will the president be?
Harris joined the Democratic organization primary in 2020 with a much more ambitious climate agenda than Biden. How reminded "Guardian", already as territory lawyer San Francisco Harris founded 1 of the first environmental justice departments in the United States. As a California lawyer General, she won a multi-million-dollar settlement with companies that threatened to prosecute environmental violations.
Harris supported the fresh Green Deal – a 2019 resolution of legislature calling on the United States to decision within 10 years to clean energy, aid the poorest communities, exposed to the costs of green transition, investment in infrastructure specified as high-speed railways. Since then, the fresh Green Deal has become – as noted "New York Times" – toxic. The resolution, initially able to number on the support of even parts of Republicans, was politically destroyed by propaganda attacks by Fox News and another right-wing media, threatening Americans that NZŁ's creators want to take distant their petrol cars, hamburgers and plastic straws.
In a akin political atmosphere, Harris may opt to \ limit his political platform on climate issues to promises to proceed Biden's policy with the Inflation simplification Act – encouraging investment in creating jobs in the US green technologies. Especially as Harris, like Biden, will gotta look for a balance between climate demands and trade union demands, including those representing workers in fossil fuel industries.
On the another hand, environmental movements are counting on Harris to remember more ambitious climate policies he has previously supported, and these issues will begin to be taken more into account by its possible administration, e.g. in Washington's trade agreements.
Emotional Difference
Harris will besides be much stronger than Biden on reproductive rights, although her position here is no different from that of the current President: in consequence to the ultimate Court ruling, which repeals Roe vs. Wade precedent, to guarantee that the decisions of that ruling are made in the form of a bill. For this, however, a majority in legislature behind women's right to choose will be needed.
The change of Biden to Harris surely showed a difference in energy and hope. Democrats with depression and reconciled with the inevitable, as it seemed for a moment, Trump's second term, went to enthusiasm. This condition will most likely not last until November, but Harris' nomination has already brought a shot of money, a will to fight and fresh ideas.
