Policy Backgrounders

US Election, Transition, and Early Actions of the New Administration

November 08, 2024

Key Insights

This Backgrounder discusses the election results and several domestic policy issues, some of which will likely be addressed early in the new Administration.

• Relatively small shifts in the voting preferences, including among members of minority groups and younger voters, drove the results in the Presidential election and in some elections for the House and Senate.
• The economy was a key issue, with only 5% of respondents in one exit poll believing the condition of the nation’s economy is “excellent,” 27% “good,” 35% “not so good,” and 32% “poor”; 43% were “dissatisfied” about the state of the country, and 29% “angry”—figures that indicate the anti-incumbent trend running through the election.
• The next step is the transition, about which significant questions remain, although during the campaign, the President-Elect promised significant actions as soon as he enters office. Likely areas for action include regulatory reform and possibly immigration and tariffs.