Five big issues that are top concerns for US voters (not just Democrats)

Michelle Obama speaking at the Democratic convention in Chicago.& UPI/Alamy by Clodagh Harrington, University College Cork and Alex Waddan, University of Leicester The Democrats think that “hope is making a comeback”, as former first lady Michelle Obama put it in her speech to the Democratic National Convention (DNC). The party has recently begun to pick up more votes in the ever-crucial swing states (those that often move between Republicans and Democrats) that will determine the outcome of the presidential election in November. But as Barack Obama pointed out in his DNC speech, the race is still tight and the party has lots of work to do to win the election. As we see it, there are five key issues that have particular resonance in those swing states (which include Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Wisconsin) and that have both immediate and long-term significance. 1. The economy, again If the economy is robust, voters will forgive much else. The state of the economy affects the daily costs in people’s lives. Even though much of what determines economics fortunes is beyond a president’s control, it is almost always a major factor in how people vote. In the last few weeks, economic indicators started...