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Full-Text Articles in Political Science
Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, And Insurrection: A Theory, Kevin G. Lorentz Ii, Kimberly Saks Mcmanaway
Democratic Isolation, Thin Citizenship, And Insurrection: A Theory, Kevin G. Lorentz Ii, Kimberly Saks Mcmanaway
eJournal of Public Affairs
Citizens are deeply cynical of the actual institutions and exercising of representative democracy, resulting in increased isolation and extremism rather than nuanced public debate and democratic involvement. Three interrelated background conditions led to this inevitable point: the erasure of political citizenship by neoliberalism, the ability of technology (especially social media) to provide perfect filtering, and the resulting fragmenting of civic experience. In this paper we outline a theory of democratic isolation that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, exploited by populist politicians, and ultimately led to the January 6 insurrection.
The Populist Paradox: A Critical Framework Proposal, Megan Morrell, Seth Masket
The Populist Paradox: A Critical Framework Proposal, Megan Morrell, Seth Masket
DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive
Donald Trump’s presidency has undeniably reignited academic interest in understanding the populist phenomenon and its political implications. Trumpian politics are frequently considered to be a stark departure from status quo politics, in favor of a radical right populism. Yet, the Trump presidency and populist theory itself poses a key contradiction, namely a populist paradox. I will propose a critical framework to understand populism as a mechanism of political power by the liberal state. In What is Populism?, Jan-Werner Müller identifies a contradictory nature to populism, as it often perpetuates the same political problems that the populist politics sought to replace. …