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Five Places Outside America Where the U.S. Election Matters

American citizens aren’t the only ones concerned about the outcome of tomorrow’s election

November 5, 2012

American citizens aren’t the only ones concerned about the outcome of tomorrow’s election. This country’s politics have an outsized effect on the world at large and, for certain countries, can dramatically change the course of domestic events. Time singles out five particular countries and regions where the stakes of this election are unusually high and where the two candidates have suggested very different policies:

Syria

So far, the U.S. has held back from direct intervention in the Syrian civil war. The next president will decide whether to provide military support for the rebels or to work on foraging a single multi-country opposition leadership in order to support their cause.

Israel

In 2009, the U.S. pushed to restart peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. It’s still unclear what role the next American president could have in restarting the moribund peace process.

China

China’s an easy scapegoat for American politicians, and presidents have varied dramatically in their friendliness towards the country. “Relations with any new Administration usually start on awkward footing,” Time explains.

European Union

The interlinked financial and debt crises of the past four years have demonstrated how closely the EU’s 27 countries are tied to one another and to the broader global economy, including the United States. The next president will be an important voice in the current debate over whether the EU should pursue growth-oriented or austerity-centered economic policies.

The Arctic

The Arctic’s rapidly shrinking ice cap, a symptom of a warming planet, bestows this region with perhaps the most urgent and imminent stake in the outcome of Tuesday’s election. Climate change was woefully absent from the presidential and vice presidential debates: If polar bears could vote, however, they likely would not be thrilled with either candidate on offer this Tuesday, Time points out.