By Dominic Giannini in Canberra

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are neck-and-neck for the American presidency, and while the outcome remains uncertain the impact on Australia can’t be underestimated.

The US-Australia alliance, especially on security co-operation, is widely seen as stable and so deep-rooted it will persist beyond any single presidency.

Australian diplomats are working on trade contingency plans for a Trump presidency after the former president started a trade war with China and hiked tariffs when last in office as part of a protectionist push.

But the rise of right-wing and cultural politics appears more immediately of consequence to Australia in the wake of the presidential election, which will be held on November 5.

Whatever the result, there will be a mobilisation in the political right, international relations and politics expert Wesley Widmaier predicts.

The obvious big shift will be if Mr Trump is elected, which will be seen as empowering for the movement and “people feeling a vindication of their views”, Dr Widmaier said.

But the groundwork has also been laid so that a Democrat win will be met with significant backlash by people thinking the election was fraudulent, he added.

“What we’re mostly seeing is that right-wing populists in Australia are trying to emulate the kind of approach Donald Trump uses … lucky, that hasn’t resonated anywhere near as much,” he told AAP.

“One of those things we see is people from the right trying to question electoral systems, we will see it at the upcoming election.”

Republicans have been focusing on illegal immigration and linking strong border protection to national security while remaining critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the economy.

Democrats are attacking Mr Trump’s bombastic character, branding him a dictator who wants unchecked power as he continues to claim a “rigged” electoral system without evidence and a racist who unduly targets immigrants.

Abortion has also proved a live issue in the states after a landmark decision by the Supreme Court to overturn a 50-year ruling giving women the right to choose a termination.

Democrats have seized on the reversal from the conservative-leaning Supreme Court whose balance of power was shifted by Trump appointees during his tenure in the Oval Office to push for a reinstatement of the right.

It appears to be resonating in Australia, where debate on the decriminalised and relatively accessible procedure is back in public discourse and was attributed to a late surge of support for Queensland Labor.

Australian politicians are importing American “culture war politics for electoral gain”, particularly on issues like abortion, Professor Mary Lou Rasmussen told AAP.

It has little to do with ideology and is being utilised by those looking to build a political movement and “use these sorts of issues to grab people’s attention”, the sexuality and gender expert said.

“They see it as a productive way to do that.”

The Queensland Liberal National Party, who last week toppled the incumbent Labor government, tied themselves in knots over the final weeks of the campaign after some MPs defied their leader and announced they’d vote for a bill to re-criminalise the medical treatment.

Party insiders later admitted it sucked the momentum from the campaign and gave Labor some protection against an electoral wipeout.

The most pertinent issue Australian politicians have been asked about is the safety of the AUKUS agreement with America and Britain under which Australia will purchase and build nuclear-powered submarines.

A struggling US industrial base unable to keep up with submarine production necessary to sell Virginia-class subs to Australia and a capricious Trump who can pull the pin on the sale if it’ll weaken the military have sparked concern.

Defence Minister Richard Marles has tried to quell fears domestically, saying America remained committed to the pact and the federal government had good relationships with both sides of US politics.

But whoever becomes president, there is little doubt Australia’s economy, trade and defence links will be feeling the ripple effect – good or bad – in the months to come.

Will Trump’s chaos make Australia great again?