U.S. Party Politics and the Peculiar Nature of American Populism

Thomas Greven

《Taiwan Journal of Democracy》 17卷1期 (2021/07) Pp. 67-87

摘要

How did American democracy get to the breaking point symbolized by the ＂storm on the Capitol＂ on January 6, 2021? Since its founding, the Republican Party has employed several elements of populism to mobilize a base of mostly white Christian voters. Former president Donald Trump has successfully added elements of an economic populism to appeal to working-class white voters. This contributed to Trump's 2016 success, to the closeness of his 2020 defeat, and to the GOP's down-ballot success in 2020. The GOP's populism has become ever more radical and polarizing, in part due to its shrinking base of voters, resulting in the current tribal state of American party politics and society. In other words, polarization in the United States is no longer based on policy or ideology; it is endemic, cultural, and a threat to the country's democratic institutions. At the same time, a divided Democratic Party has failed to embrace an economic populism that could very well serve to renew its lost appeal to the white working class.

關鍵字

Elections ； party politics ； populism ； United States

參考文獻

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