US politics and the 2020 elections

Our coverage of the transition from Donald Trump to Joe Biden


This page, featuring The Economist’s best coverage of the presidential transition from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, is no longer being updated. To stay informed, bookmark our new page devoted to the Biden presidency, and follow along as we track the administration’s progress in its first 100 days. For more analysis and reporting on American politics, listen to our Checks and Balance podcast and sign up for our weekly newsletter. If you are not already a subscriber you can unlock some of our content by registering here.

Latest stories

Donald Trump faces an array of legal trouble when he leaves office

His presidential immunity runs out on January 20th

The Trump era in covers

Our editors pick out 13 covers that chronicled a presidency like no other


Donald Trump’s reckoning

The right and the wrong ways to hold the president to account


The conscience of some conservatives

The Republican Party launches an overdue civil war over Donald Trump

Political theorists have been worrying about mob rule for 2,000 years

Plato’s “Republic” was, in part, a meditation on the evils of mob rule

Donald Trump’s ban from online platforms underlines their power



Donald Trump and the Republicans

Trump’s legacy—the shame and the opportunity

The invasion of the Capitol and the Democrats’ victory in Georgia will change the course of the Biden presidency


How does the 25th Amendment work?

A quick but fraught way to remove an American president


Can the Senate hold an impeachment trial after a president leaves office?

The constitution does not forbid it, but it is uncharted territory

How Donald Trump evolved into a prolific, angry Twitter user

The president’s posts endeared him to supporters, but ultimately led to his removal from the platform

Arnold Schwarzenegger on why Republicans must stop Trump

It is time to end the president’s “stupid, crazy and evil” ploy to cling to power, says the former governor of California



Joe Biden and the Democrats

Joe Biden will shift gears in Latin America

A post-populist president will encounter a region where populism has recently flourished

For the first time, a career diplomat is to lead the CIA

William Burns is swapping soft power for a cloak and dagger


Two stunning victories for Democrats in Georgia upend the Senate

Joe Biden will now have a majority in both houses to work with


Jake Sullivan to the rescue

What to expect from Jake Sullivan, the Democrats’ foreign-policy golden boy

Joe Biden’s choice of economic advisers signals his priorities

The team stands out for its diversity, and its emphasis on climate change and labour rights

The president-elect lacks a silver tongue. That may be an asset

Joe Biden’s prosaic style is a contrast to 12 years of extraordinary rhetoric



Voting trends

How much does a few billion dollars get you in 2020?

If you’re the Democratic Party, not much at all

Once again, less-educated whites spurned America’s Democratic nominee

Polls incorrectly predicted that Joe Biden would claw back some of his party’s losses with this group


The US 2020 election results

The Economist’s breakdown of the votes for the president, Senate and House of Representatives


Our analysis of the election results suggests that 2020 accelerated a long-running trend

American politics is even more split along urban-rural lines than it was four years ago


Why Donald Trump exceeded expectations with America’s Latinos

Efforts to court America’s largest ethnic minority paid off