A. R. Fofanova. United States Democratic Party and the 2020 Presidential Election: The Main Candidates, Topics and Features of the Election Rhetoric

UDK 321.72:324(73)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.107.027.201903.398-412

Introduction. The article is of relevance due to the beginning of the active phase of the race for the right to become the Democratic Party’s nominee for the 2020 United States presidential election. The range of issues, topics and features of the election rhetoric of the Democrats will largely determine the outcome of the 2020 election and therefore will influence the subsequent development of the United States. The objective of the study is to analyze the political rhetoric of the major Democratic Party presidential candidates and the political trends among the ranks of the Democrats, taking place against the backdrop of the election campaign.

Materials and Methods. The study was based on the methods of empirical analysis, such as description, synthesis, analogy, classification, and comparison, which made it possible to consider the main characteristics and topics of the political rhetoric of members of the United States Democratic Party. Publications in the media, recordings of public speeches of the Democratic Party members, statistics, sociological polls, and research by Russian and foreign scientists were used as the materials for the study.

Results. The author has identified the main topics and features of the election rhetoric of the Democratic Party presidential candidates. Issues of public health, education, and ecology have become central topics for the potential Democratic presidential candidates, which is largely due to a significant shift to the left and the role of the left-wing Democrats in the electoral process. The study has revealed a significant degree of political disintegration in the Democratic Party. The major challenge the Democrats are faced with today is to nominate a candidate who will be able to fight back the energetic rhetoric of Donald Trump, retain the traditional electorate of the Democratic Party, and attract new supporters.

Discussion and Conclusion. The research results provide an insight into the processes taking place in the Democratic Party at the stage of nominating the Democratic presidential candidate. The data presented in the article will be useful to researchers interested in the history and politics of the United States. The study conducted makes it possible to better understand the current trends in American domestic policies, which largely determine the state of affairs in international relations.

Keywords: United States of America, Democratic Party, 2020 presidential election, Democrats, Presiden of the United States of America

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Submitted 29.04.2019; accepted for publication 14.06.2019; published online 30.09.2019.

About the author:

Anna R. Fofanova, Researcher, Center for U.S. Domestic Politics, Institute for the U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (2/3 Khlebny Pereulok, Moscow 121069, Russia), Ph. D. (History), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2451-6154, annafofanova@gmail.com

Acknowledgements. Тhe author expresses her appreciation to the reviewers for the double-blind peer review of this paper.

For citation:

Fofanova A.R. United States Democratic Party and the 2020 Presidential Election: The Main Candidates, Topics and Features of the Election Rhetoric. Regionology = Russian Journal of Regional Studies. 2019; 27(3):398-412. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.107.027.201903.398-412

The author has read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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