Dr. Sarah Feuer, Political Scientist at the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy, gave a presentation titled “Democratic Drama or Democratic Decline: Making Sense of the 2016 US Presidential Election.” Before beginning her talk, she emphasized that the opinions she would be expressing were those of a private citizen and not those of the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Government. Dr. Feuer shed light on the U.S. electoral college, the importance of swing states in this year’s elections, and looked at the strengths and liabilities of the two main candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Dr. Feuer looked at the applicability of both candidates’ campaign promises as they relate to immigration, trade deals, employment, national government reform, education, and heath care. Dr. Feuer offered additional insights during Q & A with the audience, discussing the negatively-viewed role of money and media in the electoral process. Dr. Feuer concluded with the observation that this year’s election can in many respects be viewed as both peculiar and dramatic.
