On June 23, people in the United Kingdom will vote on a referendum on whether to remain in the European Union or to leave the Brussels-based institution, a decision that has come to be called Brexit. The British go to the polls at a time when a new multi-nation survey […] Read more »
New political divide on both sides of Atlantic: populists v cosmopolitans
“Disaster narrowly averted” was the British Guardian newspaper’s view of the defeat – by only 31,000 votes out of 4.64 million – of the far right Freedom Party in Austria’s presidential elections this past weekend. But it is hard to escape the conclusion that varied forms of populism – whether […] Read more »
It’s not just Trump. Voting for populists makes voters angrier and more discontented.
Populist politicians and parties are increasingly winning elections in the developed West. … Many scholars and pundits interpret these parties’ success as an expression of political discontent with the ruling elite. But that’s only one part of the story, as we show in a recent article. Here’s the other part: […] Read more »
Why Trump Looks Eerily Familiar to Germans
The fascination with Donald Trump is as intense in Berlin as in Boston or Boise. When I visited several German cities this week for talks about the U.S. election, questions about Trump from students, academics, young think-tankers, and journalists outnumbered questions about Hillary Clinton by about 10 to one. … […] Read more »
Public Uncertain, Divided Over America’s Place in the World
The public views America’s role in the world with considerable apprehension and concern. In fact, most Americans say it would be better if the U.S. just dealt with its own problems and let other countries deal with their own problems as best they can. With the United States facing an […] Read more »
So Trump is a populist. When does populism actually win elections?
… In many other democracies parties, not voters, select candidates. In these other democracies, we do not see more radical candidates, like Trump, rise to prominent positions within the party because members of the party fall in line behind party leaders. … The U.S. two-party system has no room for […] Read more »