Written by Marcin Grajewski,

London, UK - May 5th 2020: Joe Biden 2020 pin badge portraying his campaign to run for President of the United States of America in 2020. The badge is pictured over the USA Flag.
© chrisdorney / Adobe Stock

Joseph Biden, who takes office as the next US President on 20 January 2021 has started to announce nominations for key posts in his Administration. Most commentators outside the US, as well as many at home, hope that a Biden presidency will seek to restore a rules-based international order, which has been badly shaken by his predecessor, Donald Trump. Although pundits warn against expecting miracles from the new President in international policy, as the national agenda is likely to be his top priority initially – notably the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, efforts to restore economic growth and the need to try to heal deep divisions in American society – there are still high hopes that Biden will bring the US back into the international community’s pursuit of peace and security, development goals and fighting climate change.

This note offers links to recent commentaries, studies and reports from major international think tanks on issues related to US elections and President Biden’s expected policies in a number of areas.

Are Europe’s leaders ready for a Biden presidency?
Carnegie Europe, November 2020

Europe’s high expectations for a U.S. President Joe Biden
Carnegie Europe, November 2020

A strategic Europe after the 2020 U.S. Election?
Carnegie Europe, November 2020

Picking up the pieces: America after the 2020 Election
Bertelsmann Stiftung, November 2020

Sharp divisions on vote counts, as Biden gets high marks for his post-election conduct
Pew Research Center, November 2020

America is exceptional in the nature of its political divide
Pew Research Center, November 2020

President Biden: Good for Europe, but not a miracle-worker
Centre for European Reform, November 2020

President Biden: Don’t expect miracles, Europe
Centre for European Reform, November 2020

2021 can be a climate breakthrough, but Biden and Europe need to talk
Bruegel, November 2020

Biden’s win creates a new global trade challenge: Delivering results
European Centre for International Political Economy, November 2020

Irish-American: Biden’s heritage and transatlantic relations
European Centre for International Political Economy, November 2020

Putting America’s civic infrastructure on the Biden-Harris agenda
Rand Corporation, November 2020

U.S. versus Chinese powers of persuasion
Rand Corporation, November 2020

L’élection de Biden-Harris: Un répit en vue de quoi?
Institut français des relations internationales, November 2020

From Brussels with love: How the European Union can win the battle of narratives
European Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

Building back a better transatlantic alliance
European Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

Second acts: How Europe can renew the transatlantic partnership
European Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

Elections américaines et questions nucléaires: Quels sont les enjeux?

Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, November 2020

Politique extérieure des États-Unis: Biden ou l’espoir du retour au multilatéralisme
Groupe de Recherche et d’Information sur la Paix et la Sécurité, November 2020

Are we witnessing the dawn of a new global politics?
Friends of Europe, November 2020

All change in the White House, but in the transatlantic relationship too?
Friends of Europe, November 2020

A memo to President-elect Biden: Don’t coddle white racial anxieties
Brookings Institution, November 2020

President-elect Biden: Want to reduce polarization? Modernize federal rural policy
Brookings Institution, November 2020

‘All in’ climate diplomacy: How a Biden-Harris administration can leverage city, state, business, and community climate action
Brookings Institution, November 2020

Post-election town hall: Possible policy impacts on the social determinants of health
Brookings Institution, November 2020

President-Elect Biden on foreign policy
Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

Transition 2021: What foreign policy challenges await President-Elect Biden?
Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

Revitalizing the State Department and American diplomacy
Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

One America, two nations
Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

Election security 2020
Council on Foreign Relations, November 2020

Biden should call for an early G20 Summit
Center for Strategic and International Studies, November 2020

What will Biden do?
Center for Strategic and International Studies, November 2020

Biden can engage Southeast Asia and still promote good governance
Center for Strategic and International Studies, November 2020

A Biden climate policy for agri-food systems must confound traditional policy categories if it is going to work
Center for Strategic and International Studies, November 2020

Neustart für das transatlantische verhältnis
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, November 2020

Five key learnings for the Biden administration
Chatham House, November 2020

Five key questions on Biden’s Middle East policy
Chatham House, November 2020

A new US–UK democratic agenda could be on the horizon
Chatham House, November 2020

US Midterm elections: What the results mean
Chatham House, November 2020

Renewing transatlantic strategy on Iran
Atlantic Council, November 2020

The Trump administration can still seal a trade deal with India—and cement a legacy
Atlantic Council, November 2020

Trump’s plan to bring US troops home by Inauguration Day
Atlantic Council, November 2020

The Trump administration is right: On civilian oversight of special operations
Atlantic Council, November 2020

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on US and European commitment to the multilateral economic order
Istituto Affari Internazionali, November 2020

The aftermath: American power after Covid-19
Istituto Affari Internazionali, November 2020

Covid19 and the foreign policy perceptions of US public and elites
Istituto Affari Internazionali, November 2020

2020: The American evolution that wasn’t
Istituto Affari Internazionali, November 2020

Act as if it does not matter who wins
Egmont, November 2020

No, the Presidential Election was not rigged by hacked voting machines
Cato Institute, November 2020

How Biden and Xi can keep the new Cold War from turning hot
Hoover Institution, November 2020

Recommendations for the Biden administration on engaging with religious communities
Center for American Progress, November 2020

The hyper-rhetorical presidency
American Enterprise Institute, November 2020

Turning the tide: How to rescue Transatlantic relations
EU Institute for Security Studies, October 2020

The Federal Election Reform Commission must no longer be ignored
Heritage Foundation, November 2020

Biden’s victory means cautious optimism in Paris
German Marshall Fund, November 2020

With a Biden administration, Poland expects continuity in security and a return of democracy
German Marshall Fund, November 2020

The Federal Government Owns 92 % of student debt: Will Biden wipe it out?
Institute for Policy Studies, November 2020

Should Joe Biden forgive student loan debt?
Pacific Research Institute, November 2020


Read this briefing on ‘Post-Trump: Great expectations of Biden‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.