American Democracy

After Donald Trump's election win, many Americans research moving abroad

Late Wednesday evening on the US East Coast, Google searches about emigrating were hitting all-time highs for all three countries, according to a Google official

Two major US newspapers refuse to endorse Trump, sparking democracy debate

At stake is whether the United States remains a functioning democracy or descends into a corrupt plutocracy

US presidential elections: Key takeaways from the Biden-Trump debate

Trump largely refrained from speaking over Biden, showing the kind of restraint that eluded him during the candidates' first debate in 2020

China may misuse AI to target polls in countries like India, US: Microsoft

China is likely to deploy Artificial Intelligence-generated content via social media to sway public opinion to boost its geopolitical interests during elections in countries like India, South Korea and the US, tech giant Microsoft has warned. Voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats in India will take place between April 19 and June 4, spread across seven phases. South Koreans will go to the polls in a general election on April 10 while the US will hold the Presidential election on November 5. "With major elections taking place around the world this year, particularly in India, South Korea and the United States, we assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests," Clint Watts, General Manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, said in a blog post. Despite the chances of such content in affecting election results remaining low, China's increasing experimentation in augmenting memes, videos, and audio will likely continue and may prove m

Biden to use 'State of the Union' to contrast with Trump, woo voters

President Joe Biden is aiming to use his State of the Union address Thursday evening to urge voters to reject an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution" as he makes his case for a second term to a dispirited electorate and warns that GOP front-runner Donald Trump would be a dangerous alternative. Biden's third such address from the House rostrum will be something of an on-the-job interview, as the nation's oldest president tries to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance while sharpening the contrast with his all-but-certain November rival. My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy, Biden will say according to prepared remarks released by the White House, not mentioning Trump by name but making it abundantly clear that he's the subject. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my

Why American democracy is not in decline

Jill Lepore's collection of essays takes readers on a guided tour through the rise and presumed decline of the US, with Trump emerging as the ultimate object of the author's scorn

Will Trump be on the ballot?

The last word on the controversy is yet to be heard

Congressman Ro Khana slams Ramaswamy, says 'he is dangerous to democracy'

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has slammed Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, saying he was "dangerous to our democracy" and accusing him and his party of offering "zero solutions" to the real issues faced by Americans. Indian-origin businessman Ramaswamy, 38, on Wednesday night appeared on a CNN town hall in Iowa during which he responded to questions on immigration, border security, his religion, and economic inequality. President Joe Biden's re-election campaign responded to the town hall remarks of Ramaswamy with a statement from Representative Ro Khanna, a 47-year-old Democrat. Vivek's podcast of a campaign would be funny if it weren't so deeply dangerous to our democracy, Khanna, said on Wednesday after a CNN town hall of Ramaswamy, an Indian American running for the Republican Party's presidential ticket along with former president Donald Trump and ex-governor of South Carolina Nikky Haley. His town hall tonight was an exercise in bombastic rhetoric, .

Trump's arraignment bitterly divides US lawmakers ahead of 2024 elections

The arraignment of Donald Trump in a New York court appeared to have deepened the political divide as Republican lawmakers rallied behind the former president alleging this was nothing but "political prosecution", while the Democrats asserted that there is enough evidence to put him on trial. Scores of statements that came out from the US Capitol on Tuesday reflected that swords are out from both sides and there is unlikely to be much of the meeting ground between the Republicans and Democrats in the months ahead of the next year's presidential elections. After quickly reviewing the indictment and the statement of facts, I have no reason to second-guess the grand jury's assessment that there is enough evidence to put Donald Trump on trial, Democratic Senator Jack Reed said. The question of guilt will be determined by a jury of Trump's peers. The information presented contains troubling actions by Donald Trump that includes falsifying business records in the furtherance of other ...

State of the Union: Joe Biden's speech comes amid crises, setbacks

The last time President Joe Biden addressed a joint session of Congress, he said the country was ready for takeoff after a period of plague and strife

A world in transition: US in retreat, China on the rise, Quad in a quandary

The ineptness of US presidents, combined with the cluelessness of Americans in foreign lands, contrasts with the Chinese leadership's focus on the accumulation of wealth and power, writes T N Ninan

A 'crooked path' to constitutionalism

Book review of THE CROOKED PATH TO ABOLITION: Abraham Lincoln and the Antislavery Constitution

Best of BS Opinion: Army's pivot to the north, an attack on America & more

Here's a selection of Business Standard opinion pieces for the day

An attack on America

Donald Trump has irreparably damaged US power

Amid looming threats, US faces complex, uncertain world: Spy chief Coats

America needs to become more agile in how it employs its staff internally, and bring new talent onboard

Is democracy dying in the American mind? Here's what a survey reveals

On questions about how democracy works in the United States, respondents consider that ordinary citizens hold much less power than politicians, lobbies and special-interest groups

Hardeep S Puri: American democracy's existential angst

Large sections of the US population are dissatisfied. There is no patience for 'business as usual'. That anger translates into negative sentiment against imports and immigrants