The “year of democracy” holds the potential to bring profound change to global politics, economic policy, and the investment environment. By the end of 2024, more than five dozen countries, accounting for nearly half of the world’s population, will elect new leaders. Elections in Europe, including the UK, France, Germany and European Union, have already yielded both expected and surprising results. The US presidential election in November, as well as key congressional races, also could create significant policy changes—both expected and unexpected—during the next administration, no matter who wins the White House. For investors, the challenge lies in identifying the impact of elections on financial markets. How are 2024’s elections going to change the investment outlook?

This episode of The Outthinking Investor takes a closer look at elections around the world, the issues most important to voters, the challenges that political leaders face, and election season’s potential short- and long-term implications for investors. Our guests are Jeanne Sheehan Zaino, professor of political science and international studies at Iona University and author of “American Democracy in Crisis”; Morris Fiorina, Wendt Family Professor at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution; and Taggart Davis, Vice President of Government Affairs at PGIM.