What to Expect in the Wake of the 2020 U.S. Elections

The 2020 U.S. elections produced a close, but clear, victory for Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the presidential contest, a surprisingly slim majority for the Democratic party in the House of Representatives, and an even 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate.1 Newly elected Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris holds the deciding vote for party control in the Senate. Thus, the Democratic party now controls the executive branch of the federal government and both Houses of Congress – a huge shift in the balance of political power