The US election: expectations vs. outcomes

Abstract

Donald Trump’s unexpected electoral victory and the gains by the Republican Party at all levels of American politics have shocked elites both domestic and international. As those with varying interests and equities try to anticipate what the election outcome means for them, one question stands out above all others: What kind of American demos would choose a man to be President of the world’s most powerful democracy who has shown consistent disrespect for both its democratic rules and its classical liberal principles?