Analysts expect artificial intelligence to emerge as a defining new issue by 2028, colliding with traditional concerns like the economy and foreign policy. Debates will cover whether and how to regulate AI, its large-scale deployment, effects on the wealth gap, and shifts in how Americans get information in an LLM-based world. Both parties face pressure to address these technological forces reshaping politics and daily life.
Where do you stand?
How should candidates approach AI regulation and its societal impacts in the 2028 election?
2028 won’t just be another presidential election. Axios co-founders Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen discuss the issues that could shape the next race, from the future of both political parties to AI, the internet, and the forces changing how Americans see the world. [...] should we or should we not regulate AI? [...] AI becomes a political issue [...] AI gets deployed at scale [...] AI and the wealth gap
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
Impose strict federal regulation and taxes on AI to protect workers and shrink the wealth gap
Create strong guardrails and public investment while allowing innovation under oversight
Study impacts first and pursue targeted rules only where clear harms appear
Light-touch regulation that prioritizes U.S. tech leadership and private-sector growth
Minimal government involvement so AI develops freely without political interference
Immigration and ICE policy
Immigration remains a core 2028 issue, with Democratic voters split on approaches to ICE and border enforcement. Moderates largely prefer overhauling ICE rather than abolishing it, while some on the left favor abolition. Broader debates include how far-left stances on immigration could affect electability against more centrist or restrictionist positions.
Where do you stand?
What should be the 2028 approach to ICE and immigration enforcement?
Democrats would be very wary of picking far-left candidates if they want to win additional seats in November. They need to appeal to moderates and independents who might vote for either party, who might not be inclined to vote for somebody who wants to abolish our immigration service and take other very far-left positions.
Issues such as inflation, immigration, healthcare, taxes, jobs, abortion rights, foreign policy, and the economy are expected to dominate voter
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
Abolish ICE entirely and decriminalize most immigration violations
Replace ICE with a new agency focused on humanitarian pathways and reduced enforcement
Overhaul ICE with reforms while keeping core enforcement functions
Strengthen ICE funding and interior enforcement alongside legal immigration expansion
Expand ICE authority, prioritize deportations, and sharply limit new entries
Economy, inflation and affordability
Traditional pocketbook issues—inflation, jobs, taxes, and overall affordability—are repeatedly cited as central to the 2028 campaign, just as they dominate every presidential race. Voters remain focused on tangible economic relief, with candidates needing clear platforms on what they will do for working- and middle-class Americans amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Where do you stand?
What economic approach should 2028 candidates emphasize to address inflation and affordability?
The economy and affordability are still front and center with voters, they said. [...] candidates in the 2026 and 2028 general elections will again need to “speak directly and honestly to the electorate with tangible political platforms, tangible messages that are simply about what we’re going to do for you.”
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
Heavy new taxes on billionaires and corporations to fund large working-class investments and services
Expand social spending and targeted relief while raising taxes mainly on the very wealthy
Mix targeted affordability measures with fiscal restraint and pro-growth incentives
Prioritize spending cuts, deregulation, and tax relief to spur private-sector job growth
Aggressive across-the-board tax cuts and minimal government spending to fight inflation
U.S. policy toward Israel and foreign conflicts
Foreign policy, particularly U.S. support for Israel and involvement in related conflicts such as those in Gaza and Iran, is expected to be a major 2028 flashpoint. Both sides of the political spectrum show hostility toward current levels of government support in some analyses, while wars abroad add to domestic political turmoil and voter concerns alongside the economy.
Where do you stand?
How should the U.S. handle support for Israel and related foreign conflicts heading into 2028?
You're going to have this big debate about Israel. You have both sides that are very hostile towards our government support for for the Israelis. That's going to be a huge issue.