In the state of California alone, more than 170,000 people live on the streets. In our fifth episode, we look at the social and political divisions in the USA, the risks for democracy and the role of tech companies in the election campaign.
We spoke to Herbert Kitschelt, Professor of International Politics at the renowned Duke University, and Stephan Scheuer, our Handelsblatt Silicon Valley correspondent.
The social differences in the United States are far greater than in any European country – and that cannot be remedied in a few years, says Kitschelt on Biden’s balance sheet in the past two years. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is believed to be one of the contenders for the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee – but that would require bringing homelessness and crime in the state under control.
The political polarization in the USA is also enormous, which is partly due to the country’s electoral system. Kitschelt’s verdict is drastic: “The United States has already largely lost its role as a role model in Europe.” US democracy is still showing its institutional defense mechanisms, as a look at the trials against Donald Trump shows. But these mechanisms are currently eroding, Kitschelt warns, citing the political occupation of judges and the equipment of authorities as examples. Money plays a big role in the US through campaign donations. But Kitschelt says: The political differences are now so fundamental “that money is not the decisive factor”.
Handelsblatt correspondent Stephan Scheuer describes the contrasts in San Francisco and analyzes the difficult relationship between large technology groups and US politicians. Twitter, with new owner Elon Musk, is the most recent example.
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