Ep. 215: US Viewpoints on Socioeconomic Issues

Guest: Nicolee Ambrose, US Republican Party, and Marc Hetherington, University of North Carolina

In 2016, as Americans went to the polls, the top voting issues for Republicans were the economy, terrorism, immigration, foreign policy and health care.

Democratic voters rallied around the economy and terrorism as well. However, their point of view on those topics differed significantly from GOP supporters. The other top Democratic issues were racial mistreatment, gun control and the environment.

Two years into the Trump administration, Americans are heading into midterm elections. The results could shift the balance of power in both the House and the Senate. Currently the Republicans hold the balance of power in both chambers.

What issues are American voters wrestling with currently? The economy appears to be on fire, terrorism is slipping from the headlines. Trump has taken on China, Europe, Canada and Mexico in trade and he is getting much of what he wanted. He has already appointed two judges to the Supreme Court.

So, what next? What issues are front and centre? Crime, the unequal distribution of wealth, poverty, access to education and health care, along with the rising cost of living all are ever present. But are they the lightning rod issues that will tip the results of an election?

We invited both Nicolee Ambrose, the newly elected Republican National Committeewoman, and Marc Hetherington, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the issues they say will play important roles in how Americans cast their ballots this November.