WHAT'S AT STAKE: November's presidential election will take place in a time of crisis and have huge ramifications for the nation's future.

• Author: Smith, Patricia
• Position: NATIONAL - Cover story

It's a moment without precedent in American history. A deadly virus that has killed more than 150,000 people in the U.S. alone has turned life upside down, thrown millions of Americans out of work, and left the worst economic devastation since the Great Depression. On top of that, a vast outpouring of anger and despair nationwide over the killing of a Black man in police custody last spring has led to the most massive social protest movement in at least half a century.

This is the environment in which Americans will cast ballots in the November presidential election to decide who will lead the nation during the next four years: Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden.

"Every four years, we hear people say this is the most important election of our lifetime. Normally, it isn't true. This time it is," says Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "The stakes are enormous, and the two pathways could not be more different."

President Trump came to the Oval Office promising to use his experience as a businessman to disrupt business as usual in Washington and "make America great again." In an effort to boost the economy, he's overseen a massive rollback of environmental and other government regulations.

He has cracked down on illegal immigration and reduced the number of immigrants legally entering the country. And he's disrupted relations with America's longtime allies with his "America first" approach to foreign policy.

Biden is offering voters a return to a more traditional presidency. He was a U.S. senator for 36 years and developed a reputation for compromising with Republicans to pass legislation. In 2009, he became vice president under President Barack Obama, serving in that role for eight years. He supports immigrant rights, believes climate change is a global emergency, and thinks America's international partnerships are critical.

In fact, on every major issue facing the nation--response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, racial inequality, immigration, climate change, the Supreme Court, international relations, and many more--"frump's and Biden's positions are miles apart (see "Where They Stand," facing page).

"In our lifetimes, I don't think there's been a greater contrast between the candidates," says Norman Ornstein, a political expert at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.

'Best President' or Dangerous?

Trump's presidency has been one of the most controversial in modern memory. He has cast aside many traditions dictating how U.S. presidents act, using Twitter to harshly attack his critics and rouse his supporters. He has publicly feuded with American allies like Canada and Germany and been friendly toward autocratic adversaries such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean...