This election cycle is all anyone can talk about as it comes to an end. In just over a month we will head to the polls and vote for the next President of the United States, and we have two extremely different options.
The question everyone has been asking the great political minds of our time has been the same from everyone- who do you think will win? With the close race we see in the headlines, it can be difficult to predict who will come out on top, but one man has been watching very carefully. Professor Allan Lichtman has correctly predicted every presidential election since 1984, and he has spoken; this year, he predicted Donald Trump will prevail.
Professor Lichtman teaches at American University in Washington D.C. and he sat down with The Independent last May and explained how he chooses his winner (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/05/12/this-professor-has-predicted-every-presidential-election-since-1984-hes-still-trying-to-figure-out-2016/ ). Lichtman says he has 13 true/false statements that he says tell whether the current party in the Oval Office will retain or lose the White House in a given election. Lichtman’s book, “Predicting the Next President: The Keys to the White House 2016,” details his decision process for this year’s race.
With that in mind, there are a few things we should know about the policy’s Donald J. Trump has planned for his potential presidency. Straight from the Trump website, these are some of his major positions.
1. Child Care Reform
Trump plans to rewrite the tax code, allowing “working parents to deduct from their income taxes child care expenses for up to four children and elderly dependents.” Most parents will spend between be upwards of almost $300,000. By changing current tax codes, the cost will be much less and much easier to bear.
Trump will also create new Dependent Care Savings Accounts so families can set aside extra money for their child’s future. He will also guarantee six weeks of paid maternity leave for new mothers, giving mothers and their children a more relaxed, and financially safe beginning.
2. Tax Reform
Trump will decrease the current seven tax brackets into three. There will still be a progressive tax system, but it will be less harsh overall. He will lower the business tax from 35 percent to 15 percent, which will bring business back from overseas to the U.S. (There’s plenty more where this came from on Trump’s plans for tax reform on his website).
3. Immigration
This one has been made pretty clear- he wants to build the wall (and make Mexico pay for it). However, he also plans to increase the number of ICE officers, enforce nationwide e-verify for employers, enforce the mandatory return of all criminals, enhance the penalties for overstaying a visa, end birthright citizenship, and more.
Along with these policies, Trump will create new policies to encourage employers to hire Americans, and make having a job more rewarding for American citizens.
4. Gun Laws
Trump will withhold and enforce the laws currently in place for guns. He also states that “we need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals” and wishes to encourage the use of a program called Project Exile. Trump also states that an overlooked and important way to fight crime is through empowering gun owners to protect themselves against criminals.
Trump also brings up the importance of fixing the mental health system. Most mass shooters have a history of mental instability that leads to their sprees. By getting help to those who show signs of such instability sooner, we eliminate the possibility of future crime committed.
