The Controversy

With each Presidential election, it is undeniable that many Americans will be unhappy with the results. While Americans don’t agree on everything, in 2024, politics have divided the nation like never before. 

When Americans cast their ballot, or discuss politics with family and friends, they must do so with the understanding that half of America is going to disagree.

“It takes a lot of strength to associate yourself one way or another,” senior Ayla Splonskowski said. “No matter what you choose, there is always going to be another side that’s going to disagree with everything you do and say.” 

The extreme disappointment, fear, and anger some individuals feel as a result of the election reflects a concern for the nation that this division appears to have no end in sight. 

Vice President Kamala Harris entered the 2024 Presidential race at a disadvantage due to current President Joe Biden’s low approval rate of 39%. Since the Nixon Presidency, any President with an approval rating of less than 50% has not been elected to a second term, according to US News. In 2020, former President Donald Trump failed to get re-elected for a second term, with his rating at 45%. Harris faced another major disadvantage as she only had 107 days to campaign after Biden stepped down.

In the 2024 election, Trump gained significant votes in the demographic regions of rural citizens, latino men, and suburbs. Harris showed less significant demographic gains, but did show improvement compared to Biden in the 2020 election, according to US News.

The Democratic campaign was emotionally appealing to specific groups such as women, pro-choice supporters, middle class families, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. Through social media, short films, and rallies, the democratic party heavily emphasized the need to expand abortion access and re-define democracy.

The AP election map shows that while the popular vote was a close race with Harris at 48.3% and Trump at 50.1%, the electoral college did not show the same. Trump won the seven swing states, resulting in a win of the electoral college by 86 votes for a total of 312.

This establishes the frustration many Americans currently have with the electoral college. While the popular vote was close, the electoral college did not reflect this. What was thought to be a close race was actually over much faster than many Americans anticipated.

“I was surprised by the outcome,” social studies teacher Melissa Peterson said. “I didn’t think we would have the results that quickly. I thought it would be a couple days or maybe a week before we had the official results.”

This and the anticipation of a “tight” race, left many Americans shocked by a Trump win declared on the morning of November 6.

The Campaign Differences/Media Use

The 2024 Presidential election set records in terms of money spent. NBC News estimates the total price for political advertising in 2024 to reach almost 11 billion dollars. 

“Right now it feels like it is a very elite group that has the ability to run because people spend so much on campaigns,” Peterson said.

Both parties campaigned on the prolonging issues of inflation, taxes, and ending the war in Israel, according to USA Today.

The democratic campaign also focused on humanizing Harris on social media. Harris approached her campaign as an “average” American, heavily emphasizing her middle class upbringing. Harris held rallies featuring celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Marren Morris, Beyonce, The Chicks, and P!nk, and she was also featured as a guest on Saturday Night Live.

Harris’s connections to celebrities allowed her to connect with the American public of many backgrounds. 

On the republican campaign trail, Trump was featured on an episode of 60 minutes, and according to AP News Trump worked to boost his popularity by visiting a McDonalds and posting on social media to highlight his “American Appeal” by endorsing the most “American” fast food restaurant.

“The right side is definitely more supportive of the military,” Julian NewBauer said. “They value freedom and the protection of the country, and that’s been instilled in me because my dad is in the military.”

Both candidates also captured the attention of Americans through their negative campaigning and “bashing” of the other candidate. 

“In recent years, we’ve seen a real turn towards negative campaigning,” Peterson said. “Knowing that about a third of the population gets their information and makes their decision based on ads, it’s really disheartening. I would rather see somebody tell me about what they believe, instead of telling me someone else is a terrible person.”

CNN discussed that the media can lead voters to have a disillusioned perspective of the opposite candidate. Americans misperceive those they disagree with and view them as illogical or hateful, when, in actuality, Americans have far more in common than they are willing to recognize.

“I want to see politicians campaigning on actual policy,” Peterson said.

The Person vs. the Platform

Some Americans vote for their party regardless of the candidate while others will consider the specific person running. 

In this election, the specific candidates were Harris, a capable woman, vs. Trump, a convicted felon, according to Cosmopolitan.

Harris was the second female to run for president against Trump, and the second to come short. Trump is notorious for his disrespect towards women and his hostile attitudes towards his Democratic opponents, as seen during this year’s Presidential debate. 

“It’s frustrating, if any other regular civilian had 34 felonies, there would be no question about if they were locked up or not,” Splonskowski said.  “Felons can’t vote, but when they have 34, they can be President twice.” 

Despite these attitudes, Trump still won the popular vote, which has some Americans wondering if voters are more in support of his behaviors or his policies. 

“A lot of people who voted  for Trump, I believe, their main reason was the economy,” Splonskowski said. “Obviously it would be great if gas prices were a little bit cheaper, but I would prefer people having rights over paying 20 cents less.”

What Is Expected

Because of the win, Republicans celebrate the potential for a positive change in the economy. 

“Obviously inflation isn’t going to get better in the next four days,” senior NeBauer said. “But over Trump’s four year long Presidency, It’ll allow me to own a house in the future and effectively afford other expenses, especially in college.”

From the democratic side, there are concerns for the rights of minorities and women. After Trump’s inauguration in January, Republicans will control the White House for the next four years and Congress for the next two with republican majority in both the senate and the house of representatives.

With Republican control of the Senate, President-elect Trump will be able to facilitate his judicial appointments, allowing for easier policy changes.

There is also a possibility for elimination or reduced funding to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), cuts to public education programs, limited access to gender-affirming care, additional eligibility requirements for Medicaid, and reduced federal student debt loan relief, according to Understanding the Impact of the 2024 Federal Elections.

“The Trevor Project has come out and said specifically, with trans youth that suicide rates have gone up a huge amount, which is tragic and said.” Splonskowski said. “People forget that we are talking about human beings with emotions. No one chooses to be different. No one goes out of their way to be some sort of minority that they are going to be hated by someone for.”

This echoes the fear that a lot of Americans on the democratic side have with the Trump presidency.

“It almost seems like he’s crossing things off his bucket list,” Splonskowski said. “And the average American is not exactly represented through his policies.”

Conclusion

The division over politics and the results of the election will have a lasting effect; but, if Americans come together and seek to understand the other side, we can minimize the divide. 

“We all just want freedom for the country,” senior Kyle Ferry said. “We all want to stay safe, and keep our independence.”

It is the duty of American citizens to be educated in politics and make informed decisions when voting. 

“I think students need to do their homework,” Peterson said. “ You need to look at as much as possible. Look at candidate websites, look at who is donating to candidates, and if they have been in office before, look at their political history.”

“Gen Z”, is currently the youngest generation eligible to vote, and they will be extremely impactful in the 2028 election. 

The power of a vote in America is undeniable, as seen in the close results of the 2020 and 2024 popular vote. As Americans, it is also our duty to learn how to peacefully disagree with each other.

“A lot of people don’t take the time to actually dig into it because life is busy,” Splonskowski said. “We are all busy to some extent, and yes it’s more work, but it’s necessary to know what and who you are voting for to spark change that we need in the government.”

“You have to listen to others,” Peterson said. “Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, and you have to be able to agree to disagree about things. There’s no need to fight over things you already know you disagree on.”