The future of American policy after the November elections

Regardless of the outcome of the US elections in November, the American body politic faces a period of soul-searching. If recent polls are correct, Republicans could lose both the White House and their current three-seat majority in the Senate, ceding control of the presidency and both houses of Congress to Democrats. Even if Democrats win the presidency, the party will face challenges in holding the fragile coalition of moderates and progressives that has come together to oppose President Trump and support nominee Joe Biden. Should Trump rebound to win re-election, he would continue his attack on political norms dear to both parties.

Eric Cantor brings a unique perspective to this political dynamic. A lifetime Republican, Cantor represented Virginia in the US House of Representatives for 13 years, rising to the position of House Majority Leader in 2011. Cantor was upset in his bid for re-election in 2014 in an intra-party primary race that foreshadowed the rise of populist Republican politics that Trump amplified in winning the presidency in 2016.

Now a vice chairman at investment bank Moelis & Co., Cantor offered his thoughts on:

• How would US policy be affected should Trump win but still face a divided Congress? What would be the policy implications of a Biden win and a Democratic sweep of Congress?
• How could US tax policy evolve under a Biden administration and Democrat-controlled Congress, specifically toward multinational companies?
• How might US health policy be impacted by a Biden win. Alternatively, how does the challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) currently being heard by the US Supreme Court affect the healthcare debate?
• What impact will the election have on global trade and the decoupling of the US and Chinese economies?