Republicans are already preparing to contest the result if Kamala Harris wins the presidency. American elections demand patience and trust, but with Donald Trump on the ballot those are in short supply. How ugly could this election get? And what will happen if the result is contested?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan and Congressman Jamie Raskin.

This episode uses audio from The Laska Archive titled “Kentucky representative Thurston Ballard Morton on investigation election fraud 08 0011”.

Runtime: 48 min

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On Tuesday night in Philadelphia Donald Trump and Kamala Harris took part in what might be the only debate between them in this campaign. The race is extremely close: will the debate make any difference?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Adam O’Neal. They’re joined by The Economist’s James Bennet, Lane Greene and Owen Winter.

This episode draws on audio from CBS and C-Span.

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How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers.

Since 1992, every American president bar one has been a white man born in the 1940s. That run looks likely to span 36 years - not far off the age of the median American. This cohort was born with aces in their pockets. Their parents defeated Nazism and won the cold war. They hit the jobs market at an unmatched period of wealth creation. They have benefitted from giant leaps in technology, and in racial and gender equality.

And yet, their last act in politics sees the two main parties accusing each other of wrecking American democracy. As the boomers near the end of their political journey, John Prideaux sets out to make sense of their inheritance and their legacy.

Launching July 2024.

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