This book provides a concise and engaging analysis of the particularly unusual 2020 election year in the USA. The political science perspective illuminates societal tensions in the context of the Corona pandemic and elaborates election-deciding discourses. Larger socio-political trends such as ideological polarisation are addressed as well as the different campaign strategies of the two parties. In addition, the book offers insights into the election results of this landmark presidential election for American society and for the development of its democracy. The final evaluation of the resulting implications for transatlantic relations rounds off the book.

Dr. Christiane Lemke is Professor of Political Science at Leibniz Universität Hannover, specialising in international relations and US politics. Jakob Wiedekind is a research assistant and doctoral student in the "International Relations" department at the Institute of Political Science at Leibniz Universität Hannover.