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Whoever wins, America will still need to turn itself around
National renewal will require elites to buy into a project of far-reaching reform
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America is still enjoying its post-pandemic growth spurt. But major economic, political and social headwinds lie ahead, says the writer.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Rana Foroohar
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On Nov 5, Americans will vote in what will probably be the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes. The candidates couldn’t be more different, but the challenge left to them will be the same – how to renew a sense of national purpose and dynamism in a country that may well have reached the peak of its competitive powers.
America is still enjoying its post-pandemic growth spurt. But major economic, political and social headwinds lie ahead. Partisan politics will not end with this election; indeed, they may get worse. Productivity is slowing, the population is ageing, social media silo-bubbles create division and the country faces competitive threats from China and other emerging markets, which are increasingly banding together in their own post-Washington consensus alliances.
