By, CADE KENNEDY, Student Reporter
How will Joe Biden’s presidency be different from Donald Trump’s?
To some, the answer may be obvious. For some additional insight on how the next four years could be different from the previous four, the Northwestern News sat down with two history professors at Northwestern and asked them to give their observations on how the country could change.
Dr. Roger Hardaway
Q: Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday. What does his inauguration mean for the nation?
A: It means it is time for the country to move in a new direction and unite and heal as Americans, which was the theme of Biden’s inauguration.
Q: What are some of the main differences between President Biden and former President Donald Trump?
A: The big difference between the two would be their political parties and their policies. Biden is a Democrat, while Trump is a Republican. Biden also disagreed with and has overturned some of Trump’s policies, such as the Paris Climate Accord, as Biden has rejoined it.
Q: In Oklahoma, where the oil industry is a major economic force, how will Biden’s presidency affect the state’s economy?
A: It depends on exactly what Biden does, such as if he bans fracking, which could negatively impact the economy, or if Covid-19 is defeated, which could cause the economy to go back up.
Q: How did Trump’s presidency affect Oklahoma’s economy?
A: I am not 100% sure how he affected the economy, but many Oklahomans felt that that he did a good job, which led to Trump winning all 77 counties in Oklahoma.
Q: With tensions high across the nation after a raid on the nation’s Capital, what can Americans expect President Biden to do to reunite the nation?
A: We can expect Biden to remain upbeat, just like he was during his inauguration speech, and will try to find common ground with Republicans on issues that divide the two parties.
Q: What is Biden’s plan to end the coronavirus pandemic?
A: His plan is to put a mask mandate into place in public facilities, speed up the vaccine distribution, and educate people about why taking the vaccine is important.
Q: How will Biden’s approach to the pandemic be different from Trump’s?
A: It will be different in the fact that he has a plan, as Trump said it was not his responsibility and did not have a national policy.
Q: For college students, student debt is a major topic. What impact could Biden have on this issue?
A: Biden has already made an impact by pausing student loans until Sept. 30, and several Democrats have called for all student debt to be canceled. The next round of stimulus could help solve this issue, and some states have made community colleges free.
Q: What would you encourage young voters to pay attention to the most over the next four years?
A: I would encourage them to look out for their own best interest and the interest of the country, as well as thinking about if things got better than they were four years ago.
Dr. Eric Schmaltz
Q: Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday. What does his inauguration mean for the nation?
A: It means that it is a new beginning in a way, not a clear reset like some people might think. Change may not be as drastic as some were led to believe, but there will still be some lingering issues, such as Covid-19.
Q: What are some of the main differences between President Biden and former President Donald Trump?
A: The most obvious difference would be the personalities of the two candidates, as Trump acts like he is larger than life, while Biden is an establishment politician. Trump was a political outsider while Biden was a senator and vice president for over half his life. Another difference would be the generations that the two men are from, as Trump is a part of the baby boomers, while Biden is a part of the silent generation just before the baby boomers.
Q: In Oklahoma, where the oil industry is a major economic force, how will Biden’s presidency affect the state’s economy?
A: He will have a big impact on oil and gas, as 10,000 jobs have already been lost due to the closure of the Keystone XL pipeline. But some companies may be able to bounce back and have a positive effect on the economy.
Q: How did Trump’s presidency affect Oklahoma’s economy?
A: He was able to create jobs and help the economy grow here after an oil boom that we had just gotten out of, as well as keep the Keystone XL pipeline open, which helped the oil industry.
Q: With tensions high across the nation after a raid on the nation’s Capital, what can Americans expect President Biden to do to reunite the nation?
A: It will be a very tall task for Biden to reunite the nation, especially with tensions being high, but Republicans were able to gain ground in the House of Representatives and at the state level. This means that Biden will have to work with everyone to achieve his goal of reuniting the country. Biden has a history of working together, so he has a good chance to reunite in that way.
Q: What is Biden’s plan to end the coronavirus pandemic?
A: His plan is to get 100 million vaccines for people in his first one hundred days, increase distribution of the vaccine, and get more federal involvement into combating the pandemic.
Q: How will Biden’s approach to the pandemic be different from Trump’s?
A: Biden will try to promote distribution of the vaccine and will try to influence the federal government to be more involved in ending the pandemic.
Q: For college students, student debt is a major topic. What impact could Biden have on this issue?
A: Biden has already made an impact on this issue by pausing student loans until September. They may be hoping for an economic rebuild until they take further action after that.
Q: What would you encourage young voters to pay attention to the most over the next four years?
A: I would encourage them to look at the job market, which is the most important factor in a complex economy. I would encourage them to see if there are going to be jobs in that field, will they have to switch jobs, and if there will be opportunities for everybody.
“Biden has already made an impact by pausing student loans until Sept. 30.” — Dr. Roger Hardaway
“(Trump) was able to create jobs and help the economy grow here after an oil boom.”
— Dr. Eric Schmaltz
