Sammie Reinstein (12) took action as a high school campaigner for Biden. She recalls speaking to voters in swing states and having enriching conversations about what is important to them in a president. Reinstein is one of the many students with abundant opinions regarding the new president in power.

In a year of great hardships, the leadership of the U.S. has been tested heavily. A widespread pandemic and surging anti-racism movement contributed to a highly-contested election.

According to the BBC, the Democratic side won the election with a platform including affordable healthcare, the reduction of greenhouse gasses and stricter gun regulation, while the Republican party ran to cut taxes, protect U.S. manufacturing, limit immigration and defend the Second Amendment.

Like the general U.S population, students have differing opinions on what Biden will bring to the country.

Leon Levin (9) is an active member of Junior State of America (JSA), a political debate and activism club.

“I think [the Biden Administration is] going to try to undo a lot of what Trump did. Similarly to how theirs did with laws put in place during the Obama administration,” Levin said.

With the economy’s downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no easy task for the president to fix. According to the Peter Peterson Foundation, the U.S. deficit widened by 130 billion from January 2020 to January 2021. While running for president, Biden needed a plan to repair the economy.

According to the Washington Post, this plan was a proposed tax raise, but he promised to only implement this to those who make over $400,000 annually.

Joshua Kaufman (12), a student interested in politics, was not in favor of Biden’s proposed plan.

“It’s a destructive tax plan that hurts those who work hard and rewards those who don’t,” Kaufman said.

While Kaufman sees the more disadvantageous aspects of the new administration’s financial plan, Levin acknowledges the positives in the Affordable Care Act and raising the minimum wage.

“More Americans will be able to receive benefits rather than a few of the millionaires and billionaires at the top,” Levin said.
As far as Biden’s look toward clean energy, there are mixed opinions on whether this idea is realistic in the foreseeable future. Reinstein, on the other hand, believes that this is a sustainable field that plans to yield millions in employment.

Levin sees the good and bad in the employment situation with energy.

“I think a lot of people could lose jobs, but at the same time, I believe that they could be regained with jobs in clean energy”, Levin said.

The students seem to agree that Biden has superior international relation skills to Trump.

Kaufman admits that Biden is more personable than Trump. Reinstein said that she thinks rejoining the Paris Agreement was a large step for [combating] climate change.

“I just believe, overall, he’s going to be a lot more transparent to the American public,” said Levin.