Fox News reporting first: The media outlet declared Donald Trump the winner of the 2024 US presidential election before all the votes were counted.
Image Credit: picture alliance / REUTERS | Brendan McDermid

The USA has voted

Presidential election on November 5, 2024

Donald Trump is set to become the forty-seventh president of the United States. The results were in just one day after the election – a much quicker turnaround than predicted. Leading up to Election Day, polls were predicting a neck-and-neck race between Trump, the Republican candidate, and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate. The final outcome was, however, clearer than expected. Which demographic groups strayed away from the Democratic party? What specific changes will Trump bring about? What do the election results mean for Europe and, more specifically, for Germany?

The United States presidential election is one of the most important political events in the world. Its impact can have long-term effects on both the national and international level. Experts from Freie Universität’s John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies have been examining this topic from a variety of different disciplines as part of their research.

Researchers provide insights into the election results (mostly in German)

"The Christian Evangelical movement has had a lot of success in influencing public opinion for a long time."

Dr. Helen Gibson, John-F.-Kennedy-Institut, Abteilung Geschichte

„Männer haben die Wahl entschieden – das Land ist noch nicht bereit für eine Präsidentin“

Markus Kienscherf, Juniorprofessor für Soziologie am John-F.-Kennedy-Institut

„Trump hat jetzt sehr große Macht, die Institutionen zu unterminieren“

Lora Anne Viola, Professorin für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik Nordamerikas am John-F.-Kennedy-Institut

„Das Wahlergebnis kann in zweifacher Hinsicht rechtspopulistischen Kräften in Deutschland nützen“

Christian Lammert, Professor für Politische Systeme Nordamerikas am John-F.-Kennedy-Institut

Voices ahead of the US election

Kamala Harris or Donald Trump – who will win the US presidential election on November 5th? Who will move into the White House as the forty-seventh president?

There are about 219 million eligible voters in the United States’ fifty states. What factors will be decisive in this election? What consequences would a victory for Kamala Harris have? What would a victory for Donald Trump mean? Find out how researchers at Freie Universität Berlin see the upcoming decision and read about the influences they predict will play a role and what they think is at stake in terms of foreign policy, national security, US domestic politics, and the economy.

“Harris still has the opportunity to commit to supporting reparations for slavery in the US”

Dr. Helen Gibson, Department of History, John F. Kennedy Institute

Image Credit: privat

“Trump and Harris regard China as a rival”

Genia Kostka, professor of Chinese Politics, Institute for Chinese Studies

Image Credit: Hertie school of Governance

“Black identity is still largely defined by external forces”

Sebastian Jobs, professor of North American history at the John F. Kennedy Institute

Image Credit: Bernd Wannenmacher

“For over two hundred years, emotions have always been crucial for US voters”

Jessica Gienow-Hecht, professor of North American history at the John F. Kennedy Institute of North American Studies

Image Credit: Martin Funck

“The growing gap between poor and rich is tearing apart the foundations of the nation”

Christian Lammert, professor of North American political systems at the John F. Kennedy Institute

Image Credit: Kerstin Petermann

“The United States today is in the midst of a sustained debate about its role in the world”

Prof. Lora Anne Viola Ph.D., Department of Political Science, John F. Kennedy Institute

Image Credit: Arne Sattler

“The Grand Old Party is part of global movement of the radical right”

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Thomas Greven, John F. Kennedy Institute, Department of Political Science

Image Credit: Sandy Haessner

“The increasing erosion of a commonly shared reality is destroying democracy”

Prof. Dr. Harald Wenzel (em.), Department of Sociology, John F. Kennedy Institute

Image Credit: Ronald Becker

“Immigration policy can change political majorities in a lasting way”

Max Steinhardt, professor of economic policy and economic history at the John F. Kennedy Institute

Image Credit: Bradford Morbeck

“Rhetoric can decide elections”

Martin Lüthe, research associate and lecturer at the John F. Kennedy Institute, Department of Culture

Image Credit: Bernd Wannenmacher

Events

Looking Back: Leading Up to the 2020 US Presidential Election (in German)

Make America Vote Again: Will Donald Trump manage to stay in office or will former vice president Joe Biden become the new leader in Washington?

Image Credit: Picture Alliance

The topic in teaching

Reputational Security in North American and Beyond, Jessica Gienow-Hecht

In this class, we’ll look at the history of national self-promotion as well as different concepts relating to the past and present of image management in the United States and beyond.

Gendering American History, Helen Anne Gibson

In this seminar, we will analyze moments in the past fifty years of gender history with an emphasis on intellectual and spiritual exchange between Black feminist theorists in North America and in Germany.

Newsroom | Freie Universität Berlin

The USA has voted

Presidential election on November 5, 2024

Researchers provide insights into the election results (mostly in German)

"The Christian Evangelical movement has had a lot of success in influencing public opinion for a long time."

„Männer haben die Wahl entschieden – das Land ist noch nicht bereit für eine Präsidentin“

„Trump hat jetzt sehr große Macht, die Institutionen zu unterminieren“

„Das Wahlergebnis kann in zweifacher Hinsicht rechtspopulistischen Kräften in Deutschland nützen“

Voices ahead of the US election

Kamala Harris or Donald Trump – who will win the US presidential election on November 5th? Who will move into the White House as the forty-seventh president?

“Harris still has the opportunity to commit to supporting reparations for slavery in the US”

“Trump and Harris regard China as a rival”

“Black identity is still largely defined by external forces”

“For over two hundred years, emotions have always been crucial for US voters”

“The growing gap between poor and rich is tearing apart the foundations of the nation”

“The United States today is in the midst of a sustained debate about its role in the world”

“The Grand Old Party is part of global movement of the radical right”

“The increasing erosion of a commonly shared reality is destroying democracy”

“Immigration policy can change political majorities in a lasting way”

“Rhetoric can decide elections”

Events

Looking Back: Leading Up to the 2020 US Presidential Election (in German)

The topic in teaching

Reputational Security in North American and Beyond, Jessica Gienow-Hecht

Gendering American History, Helen Anne Gibson