To pass the US citizenship test, you will have to answer 10 of a possible 100 questions. The following question is from the USCIS test.
What is the name of the President of the United States now?
Answer:
Joe Biden.
The following is a full explanation of the USCIS question:
This is one of the answers to the exam questions that will change over time. At the time of writing, Joe Biden is the current president and has been in power for over a year. He belongs to a long line of presidents and will, in time, be succeeded. So, who is Joe Biden, how did he get to the White House, what has happened during his first year in office, and who might replace him?
Who Is Joe Biden?
President Biden was born Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. in 1942. He is a Pennsylvania native and was raised in Scranton before moving to Delaware and earning his degree in Syracuse. He made Delaware his home state for his political affairs.
Joe Biden has had a long and impressive political career. He was a Senator for Delaware from 1973 right up until 2009, starting at the young age of 29, just a year after the passing of his first wife. He was a chair of many committees during his time in Congress, including the Senate Judiciary Committee. This experience proved invaluable when it came to his next role.
In 2009 he was the running mate of Barack Obama and, following Obama’s successful election, became the 47th Vice President of the United States. After President Obama won a second term in office, he continued in this role.
His vice presidency came to an end in 2017. He was not the Democratic nominee to take over from Obama at the time. However, he did put his name forward for the 2020 election.
The Presidential Campaign of 2020
The presidential campaign of 2020 will be remembered for a number of different reasons, and there may never be another like it. For a start, Biden was running for the Democratic Party against one of the most divisive men ever to take on the role of president. Voters either loved or despised Donald Trump by the time he came to seek reelection. Many were convinced he would win with ease because of his loyal fan base, while others were desperate to see him ousted.
Biden was viewed as a safe pair of hands following his work with the Obama administration and an acceptable moderate Democrat that wouldn’t stir up too much trouble. His leading opponent in the Democratic Party, left-leaning Bernie Sanders, had been gaining popularity in some areas but not enough to become the final nominee.
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Perceived as an elder statesman, Biden was imbued with a presidential aura that President Trump never possessed. His advancing years were used against him during the election campaign, though. He turned 78 not long after the election, making him the oldest serving president to date.
The Election of 2020
The election of 2020 saw the candidates requiring a majority of 270 votes from the Electoral College to win and claim the presidency. Predictions varied between a tight result either way and many saying that Biden could only win by swinging several key states. This is precisely what happened, with Biden stealing Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Biden finished the clear winner at 306-232. But, the Trump campaign railed against this result and filed numerous lawsuits contesting the outcome. There were questions over late counts in states where Trump had claimed victory, but the final ballots favored Biden. Donald Trump alleged the election was rigged late into November and never officially conceded.
Joe Biden’s First Year in Office
Unfortunately for Biden, his approval ratings have been steadily declining since the election. At the time of writing, he had a 41.8% approval rating. Supporters say that it isn’t his fault because he has been dealing with both a global pandemic and the response to the war in Ukraine. Younger voters have lost faith in droves, however.
It could be argued that this is partly due to him quietly getting on with things rather than tweeting about them. The Biden administration has invested a lot of money in infrastructure and the judicial system, while the president has signed 77 executive orders. One of these was to end Trump’s executive order on the Mexican wall. He also overturned the ban on transgender recruits in the armed forces.
Still, there are areas that some will deem disappointing, such as the failure to sign the agreement at the COP26 summit. There was also much dismay at Biden’s decision to pull all United States troops out of Afghanistan.
Who Will Be President After the 2024 Election?
There is already speculation over who could be the next in line to the office when Biden’s first term is over. There is nothing to stop Biden from running again and potentially retaining his role. Although, his age and health may prevent him from pursuing a second term.
Many hope to see some younger faces taking the nomination for the Democratic Party, such as well-known figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Anyone with a strong position as a Senator or Representative stands a good chance. Some wonder if Elizabeth Warren will run again. Then, there is always the possibility of an outsider like Dwayne Johnson finally giving in to public demand.
Of course, we can’t say that it won’t be a Republican taking over the presidency in 2024. Former President Trump has teased the idea of running again and, having only served one term, is free to do so. Big names like Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, Ted Cruz, and Ron DeSantis are all under consideration.
Biden Is Currently in His Second Year
It all sounds a little premature to talk about the potential for a new president when Biden isn’t even halfway through his first term. But, time flies in the White House, and presidential campaigns are lengthy affairs. Right now, for better or worse, Biden remains in charge.
