The Biden presidency
Our latest coverage of the politics, policies and people shaping America
Welcome to The Economist’s coverage of Joe Biden’s presidency. On this page you can find our reporting on his domestic and foreign policies, as well as other stories on American politics. You can also find our statistical analyses, data journalism and explanatory articles. To keep up to date, bookmark this page, follow along as we track shifts in American public opinion, listen to our weekly American-politics podcast, and sign up for our newsletter. If you are not already a subscriber you can unlock some of our content by registering here.
Latest stories
A majority of congressmen want more military aid for Ukraine
They are being prevented from voting for it in the name of phoney populism
Why Donald Trump is gaining ground with young voters
Joe Biden is struggling both on substance and on style
Can you have a healthy democracy without a common set of facts?
America’s presidential election is a test of that proposition
Donald Trump is the conservative media
No institution that enjoys the trust of Republican voters can successfully stand up to him
A messy contest is coming to a head behind Donald Trump
Our poll tracker sheds light on that competition. It may yet matter
US elections 2024
Republican primaries poll tracker: can anyone beat Donald Trump?
See the latest odds and our guide to the contest
Domestic politics
Univision, America’s Spanish news giant, reaches out to Donald Trump
Under the network’s new owners, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition
Does a civil-war-era ban on insurrectionists apply to Donald Trump?
So far, America’s judges have been reluctant to involve themselves in the 2024 election
Democrats are giddy from this week’s electoral sweep
But their wins say little about Joe Biden’s 2024 prospects
Donald Trump looks terrifyingly electable
If America’s presidential election were held tomorrow, he would probably win
Why Kentucky’s Democratic governor is heading for re-election
Lessons for the party from a state Donald Trump won easily
America’s House of Representatives finally has a speaker
What might Mike Johnson make of the worst job in Washington?
Domestic policy
Spending on infrastructure has fallen in real terms in America
That is despite a huge push by the Biden administration
America’s government isn’t shutting down just yet
The new Republican speaker avoids an immediate shutdown without losing his job
A tax-cutting wave is sweeping over America’s states
Conservatives see a fiscal triumph, while critics warn of a looming disaster
Joe Biden should admit Republicans are (partly) right about border security
The witless politics of polarisation is jeopardising support for legal immigration
The post-Title-42 lull in border crossings is over
That is bad news for Joe Biden
Joe Biden may come to regret his claim to be pro-union
The UAW strike highlights the deep strains in Bidenomics
Foreign policy
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping rediscover the joy of talking. Good
Military contacts between America and China resume. Will they last?
Joe Biden’s failures on trade benefit China
A new disappointment for Asian free-traders
American power: indispensable or ineffective?
How Joe Biden manages the war between Israel and Hamas will define America’s global role
The overstretched superpower
America could face wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and Taiwan
Joe Biden has shown a steady hand in the Gaza crisis
But more severe tests are still to come
Joe Biden lifts sanctions on Venezuela, but not without conditions
Nicolás Maduro’s government will have to hold its side of the bargain