2016 United States presidential election

2016 United States presidential election
Gage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Election name	2016 United States presidential election
Country	United States
Type	presidential
Previous election	2012 United States presidential election
Previous year	2012
Next election	2020 United States presidential election
Next year	2020
Election date	November 8, 2016

Contents

2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial contest to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. The race culminated in a Republican victory and Democratic defeat, producing significant debate across institutions such as U.S. Electoral College, United States Congress, Supreme Court of the United States, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and international observers including NATO and the European Union. Major participants encompassed the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, third parties like the Libertarian Party (United States) and the Green Party (United States), and high-profile figures including Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, and Gary Johnson.

Background and Electoral System

The contest operated under provisions of the United States Constitution, administered by state election officials in jurisdictions such as Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin using the U.S. Electoral College and popular vote mechanics shaped by laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and oversight from entities including the Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice (United States). Key precedents from prior contests—2008 United States presidential election, 2012 United States presidential election—and rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States influenced ballot access, redistricting disputes involving Shelby County v. Holder, and campaign finance rules after Citizens United v. FEC. Demographic shifts documented by the United States Census Bureau and turnout trends in states such as Nevada, Arizona, and North Carolina also informed strategic planning by campaigns coordinated through organizations like the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee.

The Democratic nomination contest featured prominent figures including Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley, and organizational actors like the Democratic National Committee and state parties in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. Clinton secured delegates through contested primaries and caucuses, culminating in a nomination at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Republican primary field involved candidates such as Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, and party institutions including the Republican National Committee and state delegations from South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Iowa Republican Party. Trump consolidated delegates via victories in contests like the 2016 South Carolina Republican primary and the 2016 Indiana Republican primary, earning nomination at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio where running mate selection linked to figures such as Mike Pence.

The general election campaign pitted the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and Mike Pence against the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine, alongside third-party candidacies including Gary Johnson (2016 presidential candidate) of the Libertarian Party (United States) and Jill Stein of the Green Party (United States). Campaign themes invoked policies tied to the Affordable Care Act, North American Free Trade Agreement, Trans-Pacific Partnership, and national security topics involving Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Russian Federation, and Syrian Civil War. Campaign operations mobilized consultants and organizations such as Cambridge Analytica, the Clinton Foundation, the Hillary for America committee, and the Trump Organization, with fundraising channeled through the Federal Election Commission filings and Super PACs exemplified by Priorities USA Action and Make America Number 1.

High-profile debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were moderated in forums hosted by institutions including the Commission on Presidential Debates and covered by networks such as CNN, Fox News, NBC News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Controversies included the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, the release of the Access Hollywood tape (2005) involving Trump, allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections involving actors like the Internet Research Agency, and legal inquiries involving figures such as Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn. Media dynamics were shaped by social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, investigative reporting by outlets like ProPublica and The Guardian, and commentary from pundits at MSNBC and Fox News.

On November 8, 2016, state-level outcomes in battlegrounds including Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio produced an Electoral College victory for the Republican ticket despite a Democratic plurality in the national popular vote. Analyses by scholars at institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton University, Columbia University, and think tanks like the Brookings Institution examined factors including voter turnout, shifts in Rust Belt states, campaign messaging, third-party vote shares from candidates like Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, and the role of late-breaking events such as the FBI reopening of the Clinton email investigation. Post-election statistical studies referenced data from the United States Census Bureau and the American National Election Studies to assess demographics, turnout, and partisan realignment.

Aftermath activities involved the transition led by the Presidential Transition Act procedures, confirmation processes in the United States Senate for cabinet nominees like Rex Tillerson and Jeff Sessions, and investigations by congressional committees such as the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence into foreign interference. Legal proceedings touched figures including Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, while policy shifts encompassed executive actions on matters involving Immigration policy of Donald Trump administration, trade renegotiations culminating in the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, and judicial appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States including Neil Gorsuch. The election influenced movements and reactions within civil society, including protests related to Black Lives Matter and advocacy organizations such as the ACLU.

Category:United States presidential elections