The Next Four Years

Every presidential election feels momentous, but the choice Americans face this year between Donald Trump and Joe Biden feels particularly so. President Trump and former Vice President Biden offer radically different prescriptions for what ails the country—the pandemic, a recession, widespread civil unrest, a slate of natural disasters exacerbated by climate change and a host of national security challenges. For federal employees, the outcome will be felt personally and professionally in the candidates’ different approaches to managing the workforce and asserting executive power. In the following feature stories, Government Executive’s reporters explore what Trump’s first term tells us about how he would govern in a second term, and what Joe Biden’s deep experience in Washington tells us about how he would lead the executive branch. Read our profiles here:  

The Incumbent: Bending the Bureaucracy

The Rival: Rebuilding the Bureaucracy