The Rise and Polarizing Impact of Donald Trump

As the Republican Party officially nominates reality TV star and real estate mogul Donald Trump for president, Americans are polarized in reactions to his candidacy. How can we understand Trump’s rise within a fractured GOP and the potential implications of a Trump presidency for U.S. democracy and standing in world affairs? What do Trump’s explosive rhetoric and policy proposals mean for immigration, race relations, and social trust in America? Drawing on broad expertise and research, SSN scholars weigh in.

 

Trump in American Democracy

As SSN commentators explain, Trump’s advent replays longstanding scripts in U.S. politics – and at the same time challenges contemporary expectations about “democracy as usual.”

The Republicans Waged a 3-Decade War on Government. They Got Trump.
Norman J. Ornstein and Thomas E. Mann
Vox, July 18, 2016

Making Sense of the Rise and Impact of Donald Trump
Doug McAdam
SSN Basic Facts, June 2016

Are Trump and Sanders Rewriting the Rules on Money in Politics?
Heath Brown
The Conversation, April 4, 2016

What Hugo Chávez and Donald Trump Have in Common
Jennifer L. McCoy
Reuters, March 31, 2016

How Well-Meaning Political Reformers are Helping to Elect President Trump
David Broockman
The Washington Post, March 7, 2016

Donald Trump is a Threat to American Democracy
Lawrence H. Summers
Chicago Tribune, March 1, 2016
 

Deciphering Trump’s Appeal

Who are the citizens propelling the rise of this brash insurgent who made his name challenging both President Obama and the GOP party establishment? SSN scholars evaluate current public opinion and the roots of U.S. populism to better understand who Trump is targeting with his inflammatory and nativist rhetoric.

"Fear Itself" and How Trump Manipulates Tragedies from Paris to Orlando
Anna On Ya Law
Unlawful Entries Blog, June 13, 2016

Populists' Appeals Hit Home to Voters Who Feel They're Unheard
Katherine Cramer on
National Public Radio, April 25, 2016

Why Trump’s Appeal is Wider than You Might Think
Nicholas Carnes, Noam Lupu
MSNBC, April 8, 2016

Here’s What Trump is Telling Resentful Americans (and Sanders is Not)
Katherine Cramer
The Washington Post, March 15, 2016
 

Consequences for the Republican Party

Many GOP officials – including some of the party’s leaders – have publicly expressed opposition or doubts about their nominee. What does Trump’s capture of the 2016 GOP nomination mean for conservatism as an organized force? Political scientists explore possible paths for Republicans in the wake of a successful or failed Trump bid for the country’s highest office.

Is the American Party System about to Crack Up?
Daniel Schlozman, Danielle Allen and Rick Perlstein
The Nation, May 5, 2016

After Trump: How Authoritarian Voters Will Change American Politics
Theda Skocpol and Alexander Hertel-Fernandez cited in
Vox, April 28, 2016

Trump and the Republicans
Daniel Schlozman
n+1, March 11, 2016

Republicans Created Dysfunction. Now They’re Paying for It.
Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein
The Washington Post, March 8, 2016

Trump Will Win or Lose. Either Way, the Koch Network Will Still Shape the Republican Party.
Theda Skocpol, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez and Henry Farrell interviewed in
The Washington Post, February 29, 2016
 

Trump and Racial Polarization

In Tweets, off-the-cuff remarks, and TV appearances, Trump’s rhetoric invokes racist themes and anti-immigrant fears. SSNers have much to say about the roots and impact of this candidacy in America’s increasingly racially diverse society and ethnically divided democracy.

Donald Trump and the Dynamics of American Public Opinion about Racial Profiling
Deborah Schildkraut
SSN Key Findings, June 2016

Brexit, Trump, and the Dangers of Global "Jihad"
Ben Railton
Huffington Post, June 24, 2016

Racism and the Rise of Trump
Doug McAdam
The American Prospect, June 22, 2016

More Latinos Seek Citizenship to Vote against Trump
Manuel Pastor cited in
New York Times, March 7, 2016

Do Trump’s Racist Appeals Have a Silver Lining?
Christopher S. Parker
The American Prospect, May 19, 2016

White Backlash? Five Intriguing Points about Immigration, Race, Politics and Population Dynamics
Zoltan Hajnal on
St. Louis Public Radio, April 6, 2016

Trump and the Klan: A New Controversy with Old Roots
Ben Railton
The American Prospect, March 7, 2016