What will the US look like 30 years from now?

As to whether the US economy will remain the most vibrant in the world, it is really a question of judgement, rather than any sense of certainty, writes Hamish McRae

The tension between populism and liberalism could continue for years (Getty)

It is a momentous time for America, with the rest of the world glued to watching the greatest reality show on Earth. But how will the United States look back on it? What will the country be like in, say, 30 years’ time?

Sometimes it is easier to gauge what will happen a generation hence than it is to guess what will happen next week. So to try to set this election in its historical context, here are some ideas about the next stage of America’s journey: some things we can be pretty sure of, some that we really do not know at all, and some that we can hope for.

So what do we know? Start with population, then the economy.