Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals (Sep 2018)
“Make America Great Again”: an expression of contemporary white nativism?
Abstract
Nativism has been present in US political thinking since the country’s foundation in the 18th century, and Donald Trump’s politics identify with this nativist perspective. In this context, two features of contemporary US nativism need analysis: a) the resurgence of white nativism to retake “America”; and b) the fact that this perspective is being executed explicitly from the White House. Studying nativism is academically relevant because it is necessary to explain the political foundations that give the Trump administration its sense in a global context in which ultraliberal and conservative political projects are advancing. This is important because it is imperative to identify the potential impacts and consequences of white nativism both in the United States and in global politics over the coming years.
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