US Democrats face post-election reckoning

Significance

The country’s slight but distinct rightward shift, which has led to the Republicans regaining the Senate and most likely the House, suggests that a Democratic focus on the top of the ticket without understanding the underlying changes to US politics will not mend a fraying party.

Impacts

• Voters across all ethnic groups are becoming less homogenous and more driven by issues than ethnic identity.
• In populist eras, incumbency becomes a burden rather than a benefit because grievance is the underlying driver of change.
• Trump’s populist vision has yet to reach its zenith, but the current Democratic coalition is nearing the end of its life cycle.