The US Presidency and Election 2024

My second lecture in Budapest, educating students on election mechanics and the current state of play.

Continuing my series of lectures as part of the Ludovika Fellowship, here are my notes from a short talk I was asked to prepare about the presidential election, which fascinates everyone here in Budapest. I told the fellowship administrators that I’m a constitutional lawyer, not a political scientist or pollster, but they assured me that my level of “expertise” on the race for the presidency was more than enough. —IS

Is the president of the United States still the leader of the free world? I don’t know—the concept of “the free world” has become rather complicated, and even politically incorrect in some circles. But regardless, it’s a very important and powerful position. Not just because the president is the head of state of a large and important country, but because voters will also be electing the man who controls the executive branch. It’s not just the Oval Office and the armed forces. The president makes 3,000 political appointments and commands a giant administrative state (about which you can learn more in a lecture I’m giving Tuesday at 10am).