US Centre 2018 Student Essay competition runner up: 'what does 2018 mean for John Golomb in America?'

Christopher Dann discusses the compelling case of John Golomb, a sixty-seven year old ex-steel worker from the steel town of Monessen, Pennsylvania. As a representative case of many working-class, disenfranchised voters in the Rust Belt, he highlights how Trump's current policies on protectionism, healthcare and tax cuts have affected 'Golombish' voters - life-long working-class Democrats turned one-off Republicans. He examines whether Trump can maintain his policy promises to these voters in 2018 in reviving their industries, and how this may impact their future voting proclivities in the next presidential election.