US Elections — A Pakistani Perspective

TALAT MASOOD

It is understandable that US elections arouse exceptional global interest. For the country is still the sole superpower, has the strongest economy with a nominal GDP of $21.44 trillion and retains its position of being the world’s largest economy since 1871. It maintains the strongest and most advanced military, is the leader in science and technology and is clearly the oldest democracy.

All this is notwithstanding that the global order is undergoing a change and unipolarity is being challenged by emerging powers creating new centres of power. This makes the task of the incoming president even more challenging, as the US also does not have the liberty of abandoning its global responsibilities.

The choice of the US presidential candidates and the fairness and credibility of elections has worldwide impact. It is not surprising that most of the countries are closely watching the election campaign, policy statements and remarks