The Great Sundering: 2032 United States Presidential Election

Protesters clash with federal agents outside the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago on November 8, 2032

The 2032 United States presidential election marked a watershed moment in American history, widely considered the final democratic election before the onset of The American Troubles. The election, which saw unprecedented levels of political violence, voter intimidation, and institutional breakdown, ultimately led to what historians now term The Great Sundering, a prolonged period of internal conflict that fundamentally transformed the American political landscape.

Background

The years leading up to 2032 were characterized by escalating political tensions and the erosion of democratic norms. The 2028 Constitutional Crisis had already severely damaged public trust in federal institutions, while the Corporate Sovereignty Act of 2030 effectively granted extraterritorial rights to major technology companies, creating what critics called "digital duchies" within American borders.

The emergence of Armed Political Clubs in 2031, particularly in urban areas and state capitals, marked a disturbing shift toward organized political violence. These groups, often funded by wealthy donors and equipped with military-grade weapons, began conducting armed demonstrations and establishing unofficial checkpoints in their claimed territories.

Campaign Period

The primary season was marked by violence unprecedented in modern American history. The Charleston Convention Massacre in February 2032, where 37 delegates were killed by a bomb at the Democratic National Convention, set the tone for what would follow. The Republican primary process effectively collapsed after the Senate Bombing in March, leading to parallel conventions and competing claims of legitimacy.

Private security contractors employed by Amazon's Corporate Defense Force patrol downtown Seattle following the nullification of local law enforcement authority

By summer 2032, many urban areas had essentially become autonomous zones controlled by various factions. The Corporate Security Enhancement Act allowed major companies to field private military forces, ostensibly to protect their assets but effectively creating private armies that controlled significant portions of major cities.

Election Day and Immediate Aftermath

November 8, 2032, saw voter turnout plummet to historic lows as armed groups established checkpoints around polling places. The Digital Voting Security Act, hastily passed in October, mandated the use of proprietary voting machines owned by CivicTech Solutions, a company later revealed to have deep ties to both major parties.

Initial results showed Democratic candidate Sarah Chen leading in the electoral college, but disputed results in seventeen states led to multiple competing slate of electors. The Electoral College Standoff in December became a flashpoint when three separate groups claimed legitimate authority to certify the election results.

The Descent

President Chen's inauguration on January 20, 2033, was conducted in an undisclosed bunker after the Capitol Siege rendered Washington, D.C. effectively ungovernable. Within weeks, several state governments declared themselves "independent of federal tyranny," while others pledged absolute loyalty to Chen's administration.

The administration's refusal to officially declare a state of civil war, instead referring to the escalating violence as "domestic disturbances," had significant international implications. This terminology allowed foreign governments to continue formal diplomatic relations with the United States while simultaneously providing support to various factions within the country.

International Response

UN Peacekeepers establish a humanitarian corridor at the Niagara Falls crossing, March 2033

The international community's response was initially muted, with most nations reluctant to take sides in what was increasingly clearly a multi-sided civil conflict. The North American Security Agreement of early 2033 saw Canada and Mexico deploying troops along their borders, officially to prevent spillover violence but effectively creating containment zones.

The United Nations Security Council's attempts to address the crisis were repeatedly blocked by competing claims of legitimate American representation. The Emergency Protocol 7, activated for the first time in UN history, created a special committee to manage humanitarian aid to the former United States while avoiding questions of sovereignty.

Territorial Fragmentation

By mid-2033, the continental United States had effectively split into several distinct zones of control:

• The Federal Retention Zone, comprising parts of the Northeast and Upper Midwest, where the Chen administration maintained nominal control

• The Free State Alliance, a loose confederation of rural areas and smaller cities advocating for complete autonomy

• The Corporate Administrative Regions, urban areas and transportation corridors controlled by major corporations and their security forces

Legacy

The 2032 election and its aftermath fundamentally reshaped not only American society but the global order. The collapse of the world's most powerful democracy led to the Global Democratic Recession of the mid-2030s and the rise of the New Corporate State Model in several former Western democracies.

The term "American Troubles," deliberately chosen by the Chen administration to avoid the implications of civil war, has become darkly ironic as the conflict has far exceeded the scale and intensity of its Irish namesake. The ongoing violence and territorial fragmentation have led many historians to argue that the United States effectively ceased to exist as a unified nation-state during this period, though the various factions continue to claim legitimate succession from the pre-2032 government.

The Digital Archaeological Project, launched in 2040, continues to piece together the events of 2032-2033, as many records were destroyed or altered during the initial phase of the conflict. The project's findings have consistently reinforced the view that the 2032 election represented the final collapse of the American democratic experiment, marking the end of the "Second Republic" and the beginning of what some scholars now call the "American Interregnum."