Right-wing populism

On November 8th, 2016, the world stood in disbelief. Pundits and regular citizens alike could not believe that the next president of the United States would be Donald J. Trump. Trump had executed one of the most successful contemporary right wing populous campaigns in recent memory. In this essay, I will explore the psychological roots behind Trump’s success in populism, and how his narrative spoke and resonated with Americans more than expected. Defining Populism: In its most rudimentary form, populism is defined as a movement of the people, often against an elitist, privileged class. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/populism). It is rooted in rebellion, collecting citizens against a united cause; challenging current status quo establishment politics and currently accepted societal morals and values. (Trust the People). A populous movement is often seen as bigger than the election itself, it is a direct revolt against an elitist subsection such as upper economic class or the educated that seemingly leaving behind the common class. (Trust the people).…

with a depiction of the meeting of the Iowa Society for Educated Citizens, a far-right anti-Semitic hate group at Colony Village Restaurant off I-80. Davidson describes the German prayer above the doorway to the meeting room, the prayer’s message of acceptance is juxtaposed with the group’s hate. The sign and restaurant present a window for context into ethnic hate and the Midwest, through which he does not look. The Colony Village Inn has a Williamsburg address, but every local recognizes…

There’s a wave of populism sweeping the globe that appears to have made everyone feel either defiantly jubilant or ready to shit their pants, depending on which side of the ideological aisle they’re on. The most prominent example of this populist wave is Donald J. Trump’s upset win over Hillary Clinton in our recent presidential election, but this is not isolated to the United States. Much of Europe, parts of Asia, and South America, as well, have seen such crusades gain momentum, as people…

intellectual elites has been gaining popular traction. There appears to be a pervasive societal notion that education is synonymous with elitism, a sentiment that politicians, particularly those on the right of the political spectrum, have been able to exploit. Rather than being an enlightening force of knowledge and wisdom as it has been considered in the past, education is currently being demonized as a tool of the establishment, of the wealthy liberal elite, a ladder up to the ivory tower,…

activists came together to form their own independent political party which they called the People 's Party, or in other terms often referred to as the Populist Party. The party was a result of multiple social movements which occurred due to the changes in the American economy and its society (American Populism: An Overview of Populism). The Populist Party meant that they worked for reform, they would do this by trying to influence the two major parties of this era, the Democrats and the…

From these roots, American populism emerged in the 1880s as a reaction to capitalist development. Many farmers, especially those in the southern and western states thought the government was more concerned with the interests of the wealthy than the country as a whole. It was of much concern that the government appeared to be heavily influenced by industrialists and heads of corporations and there was a general lack of faith in the government to act in the best interests of the people. The…

conservatives have effectively branded themselves as the party of the common man—embattled dissidents fighting the entrenched, elitist, and hegemonic left” (Blanchette). It’s possible that Trump’s supporters are not absolutists on policies, and will see his actions as serving a populist agenda that they cannot foresee. The populist president cannot help certain constituents without approval from Congress or the Supreme Court, so it’s unlikely that Trump can single handedly offer the…

the American Dream being an American paradox in American’s culture. Solomon describes the American Dream with “two faces: the one communally egalitarian and the other competitively elitist. This contradiction is not accident; it is fundamental to the structure of American society. Even as America’s great myth of equality celebrates the virtues of mom, apple pie, and the girl or boy next door, it also lures us to achieve social distinction, to rise above the crowd and bask alone in the glory”…

In the late 1800s a party had started to form. This party was first known simply as the Patrons of Husbandry, a local but quickly spreading alliance of farmers who felt like they were not being represented fairly and wanted a say in politics. This movement was also called the Grange and in the 1890’s would turn into the Populist party, a major left wing political party, that would set a precedent for labor laws. It would also set a precedent for how each party would represent the working class.…

Cardenismo at is core is based on populist principles of appealing to the masses. To maintain order and popularity President Cardenas created policies that would make the masses content, regardless of their long-term implications. By disguising the policies with populist rhetoric Cardenas was able to appear to be institutionalizing the ideals of the Mexican Revolution. In reality he was cutting deals right and left in order to maintain his popularity. This political performance resulted in…