President ial elections in us history, we analyse how america can overcome its division, and examine its political system. Hello. Welcome to this edition of global questions coming to you from bbc headquarters in london. It has been messy. The us president ial election has not only exposed polarisations in society, it has also raised questions about the country s political system. Many believe american democracy is being tested and that the country s reputation has taken a battering. We ask, what next for america . Well, i am joined well, iamjoined by well, i am joined by two panellists and my audience members who come from all over the world and as usual, theyjoin us via video link. Let me tell you who is in the hot seat. Laura schwartz, an American Writer and television commentator. She worked for the Clinton Administration for eight years. Eventually becoming the white house director of eventually becoming the white house d i rector of events eventually becoming the white house director of events and special advisor to the chief of staff, the youngest female president ial appointee in history. Greg swinson works in finance, spokesperson for republicans overseas uk. A regular commentator on television. Welcome both and also to my audience members, at solitary round of applause for me and dont forget, you cantjoin the conversation using the hashtag. Lets go to the first question. Or if you are from california. Your question, please. Hello. Why cant the president ial candidate with the most votes nationwide, isnt it time to abolish Electoral College . Straight down to it. Laura. That is a wonderful opening question. It would take an amendment to the constitution to take it. Right now it is based on the mathematical challenge of the Electoral College. Many people believe it is outdated because there are many times that the electoral couege are many times that the Electoral College goes from one candidate at the popular vote to another. Something the forefathers had in mind when started this. But it is something to not only explore but talk to your elected officials to talk to your elected officials to talk about how you can be a part of change. This time round, it seems joe biden has got more of the popular vote and obviously the Electoral College going his way. So its not so much of an issue in this election, but we saw in the 2016 election, but we saw in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton had more 01 election, Hillary Clinton had more or less 3 million more votes than donald trump, but he won the election. Is it time to abolish the Electoral College . I dont think so. It does happen, it also happened in 2001 al gore had more popular votes than george w bush. But it has been a tradition. It wasntjust a tradition for the sake of tradition, it was done by the Founding Fathers who read the constitution to protect minorities, protect minorities in different pockets. Beware the tyranny of the majority. It was the majority leading without regard to the minorities. Whether it is minorities based on geography of the types of business they are in, the urban majority versus the rural minorities, for example. It was important to protect minorities in the system. You dont think it should be abolished. We did have somebody on social media saying how ha rd somebody on social media saying how hard would it be to dump the Electoral College . In a word, very hard . Difficult, constitutional amendments are almost impossible to get through, you need approvalfrom the state legislators and i dont think they would get that. Laura, any appetite to dump it . Not at this point, i think you have got to deal with it and make it work. Point, i think you have got to deal with it and make it worklj point, i think you have got to deal with it and make it work. I dont agree andl with it and make it work. I dont agree and i have spoken with some of my friends and a lot of people on social media and a lot of us would like to abolish the Electoral College. You never know what is going to happen in the future. We have a question on social media from Ernest Robinson in germany. He says, how do americas future generations intend to solve the issues of hate that our spelling on the streets and restore democracy that was once the envy of the world . Is the us political system broken . envy of the world . Is the us political system broken . If i envy of the world . Is the us political system broken . Ifi dont think so. The country always goes through these little rough patches. It has happened over history. Obviously the most difficult rough patch was the civil war. I dont think we are at those levels by any means. It is not unusualfor democracies to go through some struggles. What is important is the institutions that are put in place protect people. And those are timeless in a sense. How the leaders of the country address those issues is difficult. It might not be something that government can control, it might be something thats more cultural. I would encourage group thinking, because that seems to be a great way to avoid these issues. Laura, what is your response to that question about what future generations can do to address the issues of hate . |j what future generations can do to address the issues of hate . I think there is a couple of direction that can be taken. It really involves healing and it takes a groupthink of communities coming together, whether they are cultural pockets, demographic pockets, to talk about how they feel their community can heal. In some communities, there needs to be more programming that targets whether the education or health care orjob security. In other communities, there are other programmes that need to be implemented. Some of those can be led by the government, others can be led by the government, others can be led by the government, others can be led by a community where it is not just the government that leads off, but where they can do it better. A collaborative approach is what will eliminate the hate that exists in our communities today. The question also asked is the us political system broken and you can answer that in a myriad of ways. It is at times like this we realise the system is not broken. You can have diversity of thought and right now it is very polarised. I dont think it is very polarised. I dont think it is very polarised. I dont think it is healthy to be polarised, but the system still works, the institution still work. Sometimes they need to be fixed and those things can be addressed. But the real inner infrastructure of the political system is designed to withstand some of these times of political stress. Laura, do you think the political system is broken in the United States and that it is taking a real battering and hammering, as we have seen in the past few days . It takes a battering but it keeps coming back. It is solid and it is strong. We are searching to form a more Perfect Unionjust as searching to form a more Perfect Union just as our founders wrote. Especially when you look at a president ial election and going back to the electrical college, i think it is important that no matter who is elected, they dont see it as a mandate. Especially when the popular vote is different than the electoral vote. They need to serve all americans. Lets go to lawrence in detroit, michigan. What do you want to ask the panellists . Thank you. Regardless of my skin colour, neither candidate has spoken to White Privilege, and matter that surfaced during the killing of george floyd, was not spoken about by either candidate. Can american democracy respond to all of its citizens, or does it just democracy respond to all of its citizens, or does itjust serve the few . Laura . It has definitely been an issue throughout our history and this year was heightened with george floyd, the senseless killing of breanna taylor, jacob blake and that list continues to grow. Joe biden did address White Privilege to Anderson Cooper of cnn he said, yes i have been subjected to White Privilege and do things that others of colour have not, we need to change that. Kamala harris, his running mate, also talked about the difference between White Justice and blackjustice. I believe it has not only been discussed around our country, but the world. And i have seen country, but the world. And i have seen both biden and Kamala Harris address this. On tape, the author spoke to President Trump about this. He said both of us are from White Privilege, dont you feel you have benefited from White Privilege throughout your life . To benefited from White Privilege throughout your life . To which President Trump accused bob of drinking the kool aid. We have seen once i get into it and i think it needs to be explored further. Red, one side getting into it, suggestion that donald trump and maybe other republicans havent . The president has a habit of demonstrating a lack of messaging skills to say the least. I am smiling while i say it, but it is an understatement. We have to keep a few things in mind. One is, let address, and i think laura made the point, lets have the conversations and lets have them co mforta bly. Conversations and lets have them comfortably. One of the challenge with the movement over the summer is there was a real aversion on the right, on the politically conservative about addressing or speaking about these issues because they were so much risk you could lose yourjob, they were so much risk you could lose your job, lose they were so much risk you could lose yourjob, lose your position in university. That kind of censorship is really difficult. I think we just have to be careful about group thinking, especially at the universities were conservatives dont feel comfortable about speaking at universities or are not allowed to. I think White Privilege and the difficulties of racial minorities facing in the us, is something we need to talk about, but we need to talk about it and allow different opinions and views to be shared in those forums. Lawrence, you are a retired College Professor yourself, what do you want to say to greg . There has been so much deficit developed amongst the African American community as a result of White Privilege and it is going to be difficult to overcome that. There has got to be a real significant strategy to do that. I dont see how it can happen and to change a fundamental institution like that. Do you want to comment on anything you heard laura say . Laura, i think make good points, but there is still so much to be done on this issue. Quickly and that, laura . I agree. I think this could be the good start of the conversation, it needs to be had and it has to be in a comfortable position. Whether you are in the white house or in your house, it is very important. Not just this year, but always. Joe biden has said i will work as hard for those who did not vote for me as i will for those who did. Because he has said, the presidency itself is not a partisan institution. It demands a duty of care for all americans. So lets see what happens on that score. Lets go to tara watts , on that score. Lets go to tara watts, cambridge, england, uk. Your question . Despite the pandemic and the protests over the summer, exit polls show the economy was the most important issue for voters. Canjoe biden step up and deliver on this issue . Great, that is one thing that was interesting that we saw various poll saying that well over a third of voters said the economy was the most important issue affecting their vote. Two in ten said it was racial economy and donald trump had a fairly strong suit on the economy. Canjoe fairly strong suit on the economy. Can joe biden step fairly strong suit on the economy. Canjoe biden step up to the plate on the economy . I do think President Biden can. I am more concerned with the rest of the party, as the party has moved more to the progressive liberal side. That is the challenge. It is making sure President Biden is able to stick to traditional economic values that he has always been onside with in his 47 years in public service. I think he can. I would be more worried about president harris or secretary of the treasury, Elizabeth Warren and i went about president joe biden. I think he will understand that the best uplift for all groups, including minorities, especially minorities, is a thriving economy. I dont think tax cuts are a good idea when you are coming out of a pandemic and trying to recover. I think that is misguided. With the Republican Senate still in place, i dont think there is much risk of an economic destruction coming out of the pandemic. President clinton famously said that quote, which is so often used, it is the economy, stupid . It is, some independent groups, the Moody Analytics even said the Biden Administration would favour the stock market over a Trump Administration recently. I think people look at the economy in different ways this time. They see what has been happening with the economy, because of the response by the Trump Administration to the Global Pandemic. Early in the campaign when donald trump painted joe biden as somebody he wanted to shut down the economy again, it took the Biden Campaign a while to figure out how to respond to that. In the closing weeks of the campaign, when joe biden said i dont want to shut down the economy, i want to shut down the economy, i want to shut down the economy, i want to shut down the virus so the economy can thrive, i really believe the pandemic and the economy where very connected and people realise they have got to get the pandemic under control so the economy can start coming back stably and consistently. Tara, what do you think about what the panellists have said . It is interesting, even after four years ofa trump interesting, even after four years of a Trump Presidency and the Global Pandemic and the protests in the summer pandemic and the protests in the summer that clearly the economy is so summer that clearly the economy is so important to americans. I think it is really important that hopefully biden can reflect on that and really take things forward. All right, lets go to nigeria. Goodness, what do you want to ask the panellists . How far has the president ial election damaged a america as a world leading democracy . Laura . One of the first thing a Biden Administration must do is name the secretary of state. That secretary of state needs to go on a listening tour around the world to repair relationships that need to be repaired, to be very blunt about priorities and how countries can again work together. I think with the Biden Administration, there will be more of a collaboration with nato. They have stated they want to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and get back to work in iran. All individual programmes and policies and ideas that they cannot go alone. I think that will be very important as well as every other programme. We are talking about the department of the treasury, commerce and Human Services need to have global role in the specialty and that will go a long way to healing. But the question was very much, do you think this hotly contested election and everything that has gone around it, the name calling and so on, has in some sense delegitimise the United States in the eyes of the world . Reduced it standing . States in the eyes of the world . Reduced it standing . |j states in the eyes of the world . Reduced it standing . I dont believe the United States has been reduced in standing, if anything it has shown how american democracy works. I believe they need to pivot immediately out of a Campaign Season and really get down to work and include countries around the world. Take the high road once again. When you have these difficult elections that get contentious and in some ways, it demonstrates the robust political nature of america. I spend a lot of time travelling, i spend a lot of time in africa where we do most of our business and the response i get there, they love it, they love to see the robust political activity in the United States. As we all know, every president , every transition of power, every four or eight years has been perfectly executed for 275 yea rs. Been perfectly executed for 275 years. I think it is a testament to the political system. Aggressive campaigning and arguing and you know, discussing issues, it is part ofa know, discussing issues, it is part of a robust political system and it is really helpful. You dont think americas reputation as the worlds leading democracy has been dented in any way . I dont think so. Not with the election. People have their views on President Trump and he is an acquired taste globally. He pulls much lower in europe than he does in the us. That doesnt mean the election has affected our standing in the world. If anything, the fact we have these robust elections and robust debate but still have a peaceful transition of power every four or eight years, is a good thing. Ok, thanks very much greg and laura. Let me ask our questioners about that last question. Put your sons up if you think the United States reputation as the wells leading democracy has taken a bit of a battering in this president ial election . Getting two films, so an overwhelming majority on our audience questioners, who think that the United States has really suffered reputational damage in the selection. There you go. Ok, lets go to ourfinal question selection. There you go. Ok, lets go to our final question and it is from ruth in edwards burger, michigan in the United States. From ruth in edwards burger, michigan in the United Stateslj from ruth in edwards burger, michigan in the United States. I am 16 years old and how can the youth of america make sure our voices are being heard and our concerns are addressed even though all our representatives are much older than us and both the president ial candidates are well into their 705 . Laura . Ruth, you are not old enough to vote but you are old enough to get involved. The great way to make 5ure get involved. The great way to make sure those 70 year old folk5 know what to do to address your concerns in your generation is to get involved. You are never too young to volunteer. You are never too young to state your mind, whether that be pulling people together in the cour5e pulling people together in the course of a conversation or reaching out in your state legislator and the federal level of the house of congre55 federal level of the house of congress and the senate. Your voice de5erve5 congress and the senate. Your voice deserves to be heard. I believe that i5 deserves to be heard. I believe that is the way for the older generation to understand the generation which will be one of the biggest generations ever, as far as population. I would love to see you get involved, too. The more younger voice5 we have, the more we can li5ten voice5 we have, the more we can listen and the more those voice5 can be the loudest one5 listen and the more those voice5 can be the loudest ones in the room. But you got to sexagenarian, joe biden 1078 in november, donald trump is 74. Ruth 1078 in november, donald trump is 7a. Ruth has asked, shouldnt we see younger faces 7a. Ruth has asked, shouldnt we see youngerfaces coming 7a. Ruth has asked, shouldnt we see younger faces coming through . 7a. Ruth has asked, shouldnt we see youngerfaces coming through . For instance, should there be an age cap on who can run for president , laura . I dont think we need an age cap, but i would like to see more people get involved. There are some really young stars get involved. There are some really young 5ta r5 over get involved. There are some really young stars over in the senate, but they are notju5t young stars over in the senate, but they are not just all on capitol hill or in washington, dc, the people ri5ing through the state legi5lator5 people ri5ing through the state legislators and executive branches of the states themselves, i think can really make positive change, really get noticed and run for national office. That is what i would like to see more young people get involved in. When you go through a really hard fought election, sometimes you think, is it worth it, who wants that job . But we need people to take it on and we need folk5 people to take it on and we need folks like you, ruth, to do just that. We need a torch that can pass toa that. We need a torch that can pass to a new generation. How would you a nswer to a new generation. How would you answer ruth, greg . I often wonder how we end up with two candidates whose ages combined are over 150. I dont think you will see that again in the future. I love history and if you look back at the great candidates, especially from the democrats, the great ones were in their 40s. John f kennedy, bill clinton and barack obama. If the republicans could find someone he had the youth, the good skills and the good speaking of barra cabana but a more conservative view of the world like i have. It is coming and you are free it in the next election, at least in the next ten yea rs. Election, at least in the next ten years. Hang in there and dont embrace the 1960s philosophy, which was dont trust anyone over 30. I think you will see another generation. Again, to the history, the greatest generation was the world war ii generation and the president s for a0 years were world war ii veterans or at least the world war ii era leaders. It changed in the 90s when the first baby boomer was elected in bill clinton. Then you had baby boomers, born between 19a6 and 1962 in the last one was obama. We sort of went backwards in a way. My view, as i said, the perfect candidate is in their a0s, maybe next year, next cycle. I just their a0s, maybe next year, next cycle. Ijust want their a0s, maybe next year, next cycle. I just want to ask you both, what are your takeaways from this president ial election, give us something greg . The system is rough and sometimes it gets unpleasant. But it works. Laura, what is your ta keaway but it works. Laura, what is your takeaway message . But it works. Laura, what is your takeaway me55age . |j but it works. Laura, what is your takeaway message . I think all of the5e takeaway message . I think all of these questions today taught me. They reinforce the fact that we all live on the beautiful backdrop of a globally interdependent world, where one country does affects another one. Whether it is the representation of what they are doing and how they are doing it. Or it is doing and how they are doing it. Or it i5a doing and how they are doing it. Or it is a policy that affects all of the world to better them5elve5 together and come closer together instead of further apart. Your panel today 5how5 instead of further apart. Your panel today shows us that folks are interested, we are able to collaborate and move forward. We will leave it there, that is all from this addition from global question. What next for america . I hopein question. What next for america . I hope in this hotly contested election i hope we have brought you some Wider Perspectives on the coverage. Thank you to my two panellists and questioners from all over the world. And to you, wherever you are watching this programme. The other programme that brings you the trend lines behind the headlines. If you want to be part of the programme, e mail us at the bbc. Until the next time, goodbye. Hello there. It has been a grey and gloomy sunday for many. But for the stage it is incredibly mild and that story continues this week. We have two areas of low pressure up to the west and this will bring showers tomorrow. This is bringing cloud and patchy rain. But both coming up from a southerly direction, we continue the mild theme, notjust into tomorrow, but through much of the week. Temperatures above where they should be. But expect rain at times and some of the wettest continues will be from mid week onwards, across the west. Temperatures staying in double figures this evening. Plenty of cloud around as we see the day out. Patchy rain central and eastern scotland and through northern and eastern england. Clear skies in the west but those showers i mentioned will push up those showers i mentioned will push up through the channel islands, South West Wales into Northern Ireland. On monday morning, noticed how the temperatures have not fallen a great deal, compared to what we have at the moment. It will be a mild start to monday but that next swell of cloud is this where the front, a trough in the isobars which enhances the showery rain we will see. Have to showers of time through south west england, wales and Northern Ireland. Some will drift northwards into the midlands and north west england. Very few showers across north of scotland and eastern england. While there will be a fair amount of cloud, sunshine coming and going through the day especially between the downpours and temperatures, and miles a day across scotland, Northern Ireland and northern england. As we go into monday evening and monday night, showers drift northwards. That kink in the isobars enhances the showers pushing them northwards and eastwards to take us into tuesday. Another mild start and they will be showers to the eastern half of the country. We can see heavy showers push up across the south east corner. After a cloudy start to the day, optimistic there will be more sunshine developing on tuesday. Even though there will be the odd shower in the west, most places will finish and drying nose and a mild one as well. Beyond that, temperatures will dropa well. Beyond that, temperatures will drop a little bit but it does stay mild but through wednesday and friday we will see heavy rain and some strong and gusty winds. Particularly in the west. Goodbye for now. For scotland, Northern Ireland and northern england. This is bbc news live from washington and london. America prepares for a change of leadership. Joe biden is projected to be the a6th president of the United States after defeating donald trump the us president elect addresses supporters for the First Time Since his election win. Mr biden says he aims not to divide but to unify. To all those of you who voted for President Trump, i understand the disappointment tonight. We have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are americans. Kamala harris will make history by becoming the first female vice president. She says voters have sent americas children a message to dream with ambition. See yourselves in a way that