2024 was a remarkable year for elections as voters in more than 60 countries went to the polls. It also turned out to be a difficult year for incumbents and traditional political parties. Rattled by rising prices, divided over cultural issues and angry at the political status quo, voters in many countries sent a message of frustration.

How we did this

In this essay, we analyze four major themes that emerged from this year’s busy slate of elections around the world:

• A tough year for incumbents
• The staying power of right-wing populism
• Polarized battles over tradition and change
• International conflicts with political implications

In one of the year’s highest-profile elections, Democrats in the United States lost the presidency, with Donald Trump, the Republican former president, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans also won majorities in both houses of Congress.

It was the third straight U.S. presidential election in which the incumbent party lost. And it was one of many notable losses for […]