After the chaos of the Trump era, what can Joe Biden hope to achieve?
Joe Biden faces multiple crises as he takes office
MANY PRESIDENTS assume office in the grip of a crisis. Joe Biden faces at least four. Covid-19 is a public-health disaster: the disease has killed over 400,000 in America and continues to rage while a disorganised vaccination drive sputters. The virus has wreaked economic devastation: 10m fewer Americans are employed than before the pandemic; two-thirds of children cannot attend school in person; one in eight adults are skipping meals. Bitter divisions over racial justice fester. And a partisan rancour has poisoned Americans’ faith in their democracy.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Good luck, Joe”
From the January 23rd 2021 edition
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