There is no indicator or statistic that can guarantee to predict with certainty who will be the next president of the United States, but there are several tools and methods used to estimate the candidates' chances of victory. One of these is predictive modeling, and I will mention the three most popular models:
- Nate Silver's model (FiveThirtyEight)
- The Economist's model
- Allan Lichtman's prediction model ("The Keys to the White House")
We will focus on the third model because it has predicted election results with remarkable accuracy since 1984, including Trump's surprising victory in 2016, although the 2000 election could be considered a partial exception since Lichtman predicted that Al Gore would win, which was true in terms of the popular vote but he lost in the Electoral College to George W. Bush.
This model was created by Allan Lichtman in the 1980s and is based on 13 "keys" or factors:
Party Mandate: The party occupying the White House must have more seats in the House of Representatives in the first half of the term after the elections. Otherwise, the victorious party will face many legislative limitations, continuous political investigations, etc.
Internal Competition: There is no serious internal competition for the nomination in the party currently in the White House.
Incumbent Candidate: The candidate is the same as the one currently in the White House.
Third Party: There is no significant third-party or independent candidate.
Short-term Economy: The economy is not in recession during the election campaign.
Long-term Economy: Real per capita economic growth during the term is equal to or greater than the average growth during the previous two terms.
Policy Changes: The current administration has implemented significant changes in national policy.
Social Unrest: There was no significant social unrest during the term.
Scandal: The administration has not been involved in a major scandal.
Foreign/Military Failure: The administration has not suffered a major failure in military or foreign policy.
Foreign/Military Success: The administration has had a significant success in military or foreign policy.
Incumbent's Charisma: The incumbent candidate is charismatic or a national hero.
Opposition Candidate's Charisma: The opposing candidate is not charismatic or considered a national hero.
Lichtman established that if the party in power has 6 or more factors against it, it will lose the election; otherwise, it will win.
For example, in the 2020 election, Trump had more than 7 factors against him, and what happened? He lost the election.
What will happen in 2024?
Well, initially, the odds seem to favor Trump if we apply the model because:
Party Mandate: The party's mandate in the context of the 2022 midterm elections in the United States reflects a "divided government" scenario. This means that although the Democrats managed to maintain control of the Senate, the Republicans won a slim majority in the House of Representatives. This indicates a lack of Democratic control in favor of the Republicans, so this factor would favor Trump.
Internal Competition: This factor also favors Trump because it is evident that he faces no internal competition within the Republican Party. The same cannot be said for Kamala Harris. With Biden's withdrawal, the political contest has placed Harris at the center of the Democratic Party's political scene, but this has revealed deep internal divisions and a lack of cohesion. Additionally, according to a "Morning Consult" poll (a big data company established in 2014 specializing in public opinion surveys and analysis), only one-third of voters believe Harris can win the election, and less than half trust her leadership abilities. Harris has managed to consolidate her position as a candidate, but only due to Biden's forced withdrawal and the necessity to rally around an alternative candidate—there was no better alternative.
Incumbent Candidate: As we know, neither of the two candidates is currently the sitting president, and it doesn't seem that Harris's position as vice president will give her an advantage here.
Third Party: There is no significant third-party or independent candidate, so this benefits both.
Short-term Economy: The U.S. has not yet entered a recession during the campaign, but it is not ruled out if we consider indicators like the Sahm Rule, as well as economic indicators from the last "Black Monday" in the markets and the labor slowdown in the U.S., all of which suggest this possibility. This would undoubtedly benefit Trump. If the economy doesn't enter a recession in the second half of the year, this would benefit Harris according to the model, but this only represents one point.
Long-term Economy: Real per capita economic growth during the term is equal to or greater than the average growth during the previous two terms, so Harris seems to win this point.
Policy Changes: During Biden's administration, several political changes were implemented, such as the Rescue Plan to alleviate the effects of COVID, including the expansion of the child tax credit. He also launched "Bidenomics" focusing on investments in education and aid to schools. Additionally, Biden granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to thousands of Venezuelans and sought to protect immigrants, although he faced persistent challenges in managing immigration due to a lack of resources at the border. He also considered making significant changes to the functioning of the Supreme Court, including the possibility of constitutional reforms to limit the immunity of high-ranking officials. Therefore, this point could go to Harris.
Social Unrest: However, under Biden, there were significant reasons for social unrest. For example, despite overall good economic health, inflation and the high cost of housing generated criticism and discontent, especially among the Hispanic community. The dysfunction and polarization of the U.S. political system have also been factors of unrest, affecting the administration's ability to act more freely on some issues. And of course, the perception of Biden's diminished abilities and his determination to run for reelection have generated considerable concern among some Democrats. So, this point goes to Trump.
Scandal: This point clearly favors Harris because Trump has been involved in several scandals, such as the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault, the classified documents issue, 91 criminal charges, and four criminal indictments, including economic fraud and a civil conviction for sexual abuse and defamation.
Foreign/Military Failure: This point could probably go to Trump because there is a sense among the public of a failure in this regard with Biden. Biden has faced many criticisms for his handling of Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The withdrawal from Afghanistan was also perceived as a significant failure due to the chaos that followed and the rapid takeover of the country by the Taliban. There is also the perception of a decrease in U.S. influence on the international stage due to perceived double standards in conflicts like Gaza and Ukraine.
Foreign/Military Success: Harris could have an advantage here, as Biden repaired relations with traditional allies in Europe and Asia, which had deteriorated during the Trump administration. This effort to strengthen international alliances is considered one of his main achievements. Additionally, Biden assembled an experienced team to handle national security and foreign policy issues, which was seen as an advantage in facing global challenges. This team includes figures like John Kerry and Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan.
Incumbent's Charisma: Clearly, this point goes to Trump, and his charisma has been further reinforced by the recent attack in July, after which Biden admitted that it was a mistake to say "Trump should be put in the crosshairs."
Opposition Candidate's Charisma: In line with the above, this point also goes to Trump.
So, if we apply the model, Trump would have a greater chance of being elected president with a score of 5 to 8 against Harris, and if there is no recession, he would still win with a score of 6 to 7. Therefore, unless new developments occur on the horizon, my winner is Trump.
Honestly, the temptation is very strong, and I would love to apply this model to Spain to see what results we get. For now, they are tied according to the model.
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