Nationalist populism has become a major force in European politics. But while such populism has long been thought to have its roots in economic anxiety, a new analysis of Pew Research Center survey data suggests there are additional factors at play. Those who have a favorable opinion of populist parties […] Read more »
Is increasing diversity positive for the U.S.? A look at the partisan divide
According to a Gallup survey released on July 18, the American people now regard immigration as the single most important problem facing the country, and the share of the population expressing this view stands at the highest level ever recorded. This surge of concern crosses partisan lines: the share of […] Read more »
Racism and authoritarianism go hand in hand
Two features of American politics are omnipresent in the current media landscape. First, Donald Trump’s rhetoric regarding nonwhites routinely betrays a dehumanizing prejudice. Second, there has been a proliferation of what Duke University law professor Jedediah Purdy sardonically labels “crisis-of-democracy literature,” involving Americans’ apparent rebuke of democratic norms. Neither social […] Read more »
Trump’s ‘Purple’ Family Values
… In their book “Red Families v. Blue Families,” Naomi Cahn and June Carbone popularized the idea of “blue” and “red” family models. Blue families prize equality and companionship between spouses while putting a low value on childbearing. Red families tend to be inegalitarian or complementarian, viewing the man as […] Read more »
Trump’s Rage Junkies
It is truly a confounding time to be alive, to be an American. We are watching as a president of the United States openly lies, fabricates and exaggerates while two-fifths of the population cheers him for it. … Let’s be clear about the demographics of this base: While the overwhelming majority […] Read more »
Counting the days till Trumpism ends? You’ll run out of fingers.
… When citizens rise up against a system they believe is broken, when voters conclude that they’ve been conned or taken for granted, they are generally not dissuaded by their leaders’ personal peccadilloes, nor are they impressed by investigations that reveal misdeeds by their populist flag-bearers. President Trump remains as […] Read more »