Much rides on the US Presidential election. The Debate has often been Democrats claiming Donald Trump is unsuited for office, and Republicans pointing to the loss of control over the Mexican border when Kamala Harris was in charge. There have been other huge issues dividing the two parties that matter more to the world.
Net zero was on the ballot paper, with Republican states wanting to increase US recovery and use of cheaper oil and gas against Democrats who want to switch to renewable electricity.
War and peace were on the ballot paper, with Republicans wanting negotiations with Russia over Ukraine and expressing criticisms of the Biden/Harris approach to the Middle East.
Lower taxes were on the ballot paper.
Donald Trump wants to keep the tax cuts that he got through in his first term, whilst Democrats want them to lapse.
Democrats think the rich and big business should be charged higher rates. Republicans think lower taxes promote enterprise and growth.
US voters are offered a real and important choice, says Sir John Redwood
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The US has performed so much better than the EU or the UK this century, delivering faster growth and higher living standards.
Its success has been spurred by a large expansion under President Trump of its domestic oil and gas. In his first term as President he allowed a boost to oil output by 50 per cent.
It made the US the largest oil producer overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Europe has been held back by dear and scarce energy, compounded by the need to end imports of Russian gas.
The US has pioneered the amazing digital revolution. So many businesses and homes now depend on Microsoft software, on Amazon web storage and online shopping, on Alphabet searches and Meta social media.
The leading US corporations have become business partners to the world, central to companies providing service and making goods for their customers.
The US has maintained the world's largest military forces, and spent heavily on technology and research.
There has been plenty of spin off from developments and plenty of export orders for military hardware and for the related civilian planes and aerospace.
The US has many of the world's leading universities which have worked with finance to set up new businesses based on break through research.
These strengths will be there for either party in government, The battles over net zero and taxes will affect the pace of growth and will have a wider impact around the world.
If Republican scepticism about the transition to net zero is adopted then the world will need to face the position where the world's two largest producers of man made CO2, China and the USA, are not engaged in trying to bring it down.
Whilst China says she wants to help curb the output, so far China has allowed its own output to rise despite it accounting for 30 per cent of the world total.
If the US also loses enthusiasm, more countries producing far less could question why they should take difficult and costly decisions to reduce when the two dominant countries are not doing so. The world policy set out in international treaties only works if the two big players lead the way.
If Republican policies of lower taxes and the attraction of more rich people and successful companies into the US are adopted, other countries will need to respond. If the US is a low tax magnet, it will be a pressure on others to lower their tax rates, or will restrain them from putting them up more.
So a lot is riding on the Presidential and Congress elections.
A President backed by Senate and House has huge power to change US policy and reshape the world.
A President with a hostile House or Senate still can play a big role in influencing political outcomes in the rest of the world, and can help lead debate on matters like taxes, growth and net zero.
US voters are offered a real and important choice. It is made more dramatic by the apparent 50/50 split in views in what is a very vibrant democracy.
