Why is Trump going to wield an incredible amount of power?

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With Trump set to win a clear victory in the presidential election, the political situation and electoral victory has meant he will have a huge amount of power

Huge mandate
With Trump likely to win the popular vote and to win all the swing states it means that he will have an incredible amount of support across America. This will provide him with a clear mandate to govern and to execute his policies with little resistance.

Harris is expected to win one of the smallest Democrat proportion of electoral college votes since 1998.

The Senate
As well as the presidential election, 1/3 of Senators are elected each year. Each state has two senators per state and the elections this year have led to another Republican victory with the party gaining enough seats to win a majority on the Senate - the first time in four years. As one of the chambers of the legislature this will make it much easier for Trump to get ratification of treaties, pass appointments of government officials and Supreme Court judges and pass legislation.

The House
As well as the Senate, Trump is also expected to win the House. The second of the two chambers that form the U.S legislature. With both the Senate and House, the U.S president will find it much easier to pass legislation and pursue his agenda. With the presidency, house and senate, Trump has the trifecta of political institutions.

The Supreme Court
Trump appointed three conservative Supreme Court judges during his last presidential term, pushing the Supreme Court balance to a 6-3 conservative majority.

Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas are two older conservative justices, many predict that they could retire in the Trump 2024-2028 to allow Trump to appoint younger Conservative justices. This will help secure the longevity of a Conservative majority on the Supreme Court which will support Trump with his political agenda with rulings likely to go in his favour.

With a huge mandate, trifecta and the longevity of the Supreme Court secured for Trump. It is clear that he will be able to pursue his political agenda with little barriers.

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This analysis paints a clear picture of the substantial control Trump could wield if his victory leads to a sweeping Republican presence across all branches of the U.S. government. With a strong mandate, legislative support, and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, Trump would indeed be positioned to enact his agenda with minimal resistance. It raises important questions: How could this consolidation of power impact the checks and balances that are integral to the U.S. political system?

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I think it will severely weaken checks and balances. This is not to say the Supreme Court can still rule against him as justices are supposed to be neutral and independent after all and he may still have divisions within his party.

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