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Full-Text Articles in Political Science
Exploring Demagoguery And Political Rhetoric’S Impact Through Social Media, Avery Palsma
Exploring Demagoguery And Political Rhetoric’S Impact Through Social Media, Avery Palsma
Honors Thesis
Demagoguery refers to political rhetoric and activity that seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people. Demagogues are political leaders, such as Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler, who gain power by using a destructive approach to popular discourse. They influence culture by perpetuating and influencing ideologies, allowing them to take advantage of and fuel a dominating culture. Demagogues are present in today’s culture as the political divide becomes greater. This study aims to explain why demagogues are so influential and how social media might be contributing to their growth. In order to do this, three communication …
Reinventing Our Understanding Of The Left-Right Political Dichotomy: The Case Of Argentina, Sol Halle
Reinventing Our Understanding Of The Left-Right Political Dichotomy: The Case Of Argentina, Sol Halle
International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses
What happens to a country’s political culture once populism takes root? Have Global North-centered methods of evaluation miscategorized Global South political party identification both historically and contemporaneously? As the world grapples with the continued rise of populism and its divisive rhetoric, scholars must thoroughly examine the movement’s spheres of influence beyond traditionally accepted frameworks. Understanding populist parties is vital, for they oftentimes create staggering disruptions within a nation’s political culture. These disturbances become starkly apparent in times of crises as challenges plunge everyday citizens deeper into the political sphere. The case of Argentina allows for an examination of the ways …
Disembedded Liberalism: The Global Pressure On Democracy, Hallie Spear
Disembedded Liberalism: The Global Pressure On Democracy, Hallie Spear
CMC Senior Theses
The international political order is at a crossroads with divergent paths. Liberal democracy is once again threatened on the international stage. What's more troubling is that the most stable and influential democracies, the United States, those in Europe and India, seem to be vulnerable to the autocratic wave sweeping through the world. This thesis completes a critical analysis to understand the root causes of the recent disruption to democracy the world has observed. Focusing on three established, diverse, and populous democracies, this thesis investigates the economic conditions at play that made each nation vulnerable to populism. Neoliberal economic policies implemented …
A Shock To The System: Analyzing Ethnocentric Populist Support Before And After Crises, Kyu Chul Shin
A Shock To The System: Analyzing Ethnocentric Populist Support Before And After Crises, Kyu Chul Shin
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports
Using the question of what is driving the support for populists in the mid-late 2010s in Western Europe and the United States as the starting point, this dissertation attempts to answer a number of different questions related to populists: Were the reasons behind support for populists in countries that saw an increase in support for populisms similar to those that saw a decrease in support? Are the reasons for supporting right-wing populists different from more general ethnocentric populists? Are the reasons that Americans supported Donald Trump similar or different from the reasons behind support for Western European populists? Following migration-related …
Democracy In Peril: Examining The Resurgence Of Fascism And The Radical Right In Europe, William Sirmon
Democracy In Peril: Examining The Resurgence Of Fascism And The Radical Right In Europe, William Sirmon
Honors Theses
Fascism and the radical right are on the rise in Europe in ways that haven’t been seen since the Second World War. Understanding the reason for this phenomenon is imperative to democracy’s defense. Europe is the birthplace of democracy and political liberalism, and the continent is a model of these ideas for the rest of the world to strive to follow. European democracy’s future is in peril with the resurgence of fascism and the radical right, fueled by growing Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism, economic issues, and the overall disillusionment of democratic institutions. The new wave of conservatism and the far-right share …
Rethinking “Representative” Democracy, Tawreak Gamble-Eddington
Rethinking “Representative” Democracy, Tawreak Gamble-Eddington
Honors Theses
The rapidly changing dynamism of the 21st century has left democratic institutions in shambles as populists rise to power and, arguably, threaten to undermine the very fabric of the democratic way of life through increasingly exclusionary politics. The prominence of populist leaders and re-emergence of ethnonationalism demonstrates a shortcoming of many representative democracies, their elites’ ability to adequately represent the masses. In this paper, I will argue that recent trends in the decline of democracy can be partially attributed to a lack of democratic legitimacy that has been caused by a failure to intentionally account for demographic diversity in the …
A Crisis Of Masculinity: The Rise Of The Afd And The East German Man, Chandler Molpus
A Crisis Of Masculinity: The Rise Of The Afd And The East German Man, Chandler Molpus
Honors Theses
In this thesis, I examine how a crisis of masculinity in the former German Democratic Republic has contributed to the rise of the far-right party, Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). In the first chapter, I argue that east German men feel left- behind politically, economically, and demographically. In the second chapter, I compare results from the 2017 Federal Bundestag election to demonstrate that east German men are more likely to vote for the AfD than any other demographic group in Germany.
European Migration And The Far-Right: 2011-2017, Lauren Wilson
European Migration And The Far-Right: 2011-2017, Lauren Wilson
Honors Undergraduate Theses
This study investigates the relationship between the current migration crisis in Europe and the escalation of far-right voting which has been witnessed since it's beginning. In order to do so this study utilized correlation experiments and detailed case studies to explore the relationship between legislative vote shares and asylum applications for the years 2009-2017 in the EU member states of Hungary, Germany, France, Greece and the UK. Control variables of GDP, unemployment and terrorist attacks have also been utilized to measure alternative causes of far-right voting. Results of these experiments vary quite a bit from state to state - finding …
The Rise Of Right-Wing Populism In Poland: Comparative Analysis Of Social Structure And Party Strategy, Patrycja J. Koszykowska
The Rise Of Right-Wing Populism In Poland: Comparative Analysis Of Social Structure And Party Strategy, Patrycja J. Koszykowska
Student Theses and Dissertations
Under the puzzling circumstances of a strong domestic economy and the relatively stable mainstream policymaking of the incumbents, Law and Justice (PiS), a right-wing populist party, momentously won the 2015 presidential and parliamentary elections in Poland. Using a comparative approach, the thesis examines the structural forces and policy dimensions/goals, which have provided the necessary conditions for the populist right-wing program to appeal to a wide variety of demographic groups, resulting in an electoral victory and to some degree in the redrawing of political and social boundaries. The conducted field study served as a hypothesis-generating exercise to gauge the voter sentiment …
Reverting To The Right: Analyzing The Recent Reversion Of Western Liberal Democracies, Kevin Crosby
Reverting To The Right: Analyzing The Recent Reversion Of Western Liberal Democracies, Kevin Crosby
Honors College Theses
This paper will investigate and analyze the rise of the far right movement’s influence and legitimacy in European Union (EU) states. The far right movement has been characterized by its nationalism, nativism, and skepticism of global and regional integration. In Europe the global financial crisis of 2008 and the current European immigration crisis have shaken public faith in EU integration efforts and led to the legitimization of far right political movements that previously represented a bare minority in political discourse. The expansion of such movements has led to massive policy shifts throughout Europe, such as the United Kingdom’s decision to …
Trumpocracy: The Rise Of Populism In Europe And America, Michael F. Kickham Iii
Trumpocracy: The Rise Of Populism In Europe And America, Michael F. Kickham Iii
Theses
The purpose of this paper is to examine the root cause of the populist backlash that has been so prominent in recent western democracies. Populist backlashes have occurred with frequency over time, however since the turn of the 21st Century, they have occurred with increased frequency and effectiveness. This is largely due to a disconnect between political and media elites and the general public. I propose two models; the "fragment theory" and the "feedback loop" theory to help explain the increased effectiveness of populist movements. The "fragment theory" is the idea that fringe political parties are able to challenge mainstream …
The Rise Of The Far Right: Explaining Popularity And Potential Influence, Vanessa Rosato
The Rise Of The Far Right: Explaining Popularity And Potential Influence, Vanessa Rosato
Scripps Senior Theses
The 2016 election cycle has shown a dramatic radicalization of the right, featuring elements such as out-group demonization, law and order rhetoric, and populist strategies that have not been so prevalent in the US since the rise of Nixon’s Silent Majority in the 1970s. The UK has experienced a similar ideological shift, though its emergence has perhaps not been so notoriously outspoken. All the same, the fervent anti-statist and anti-elitist narrative employed by the Leave Campaign is starkly similar to language historically associated with the populist rhetoric of the Far Right. Drawing on analyses of economic, socio-cultural, and geopolitical trends …