Thursday, July 20, 2017

From the U.S. to Europe: The Changing Tides of Populism Across Nations

Written By: Sensei Larson-Scott
Program Intern, World Affairs Council of Atlanta
Student, Agnes Scott College
Published: 7/20/2017

The left appears to be in retreat in many countries. In the United States, for example, we have seen a surge of right-wing populism. The election of Donald Trump indicated a trend toward this form of conservative nationalism, and has initiated widespread debate about party and ideology. Another example of the increase in right-wing populism is Brexit. Author Jedediah Purdy asserts that “Britain's surprise vote to leave the European Union … was a recent example of this growing insurgency against the political mainstream.”1 This helps illustrate that a resistance to mainstream politics (and media) is growing, not only in the United States but across Europe as well.
However, we have already seen a pushback against right-wing populism. Take the hotly observed French election, where until shortly before the election it was assumed that far-right candidate Marine Le Pen would win. To the surprise of many, centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron won by quite a margin, indicating a trend away from right-wing populism in France. Another illustration of this pushback can be observed in Theresa May’s recent setback in Parliament. In a bid to gain more power in the Brexit negotiations, and future dealings with Europe after Brexit, May confidently called for a snap election. To the surprise of many, May in fact lost the Conservative majority in Parliament. This was quite a setback for May and her party’s negotiating power in terms of Brexit.
These events may indicate the beginning of a trend away from right-wing populism, likely because it has been long enough to begin to see the political consequences of Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, and other right-leaning populist trends. Author Lane Kenworthy puts it well when explaining that the U.S. has come very far, and while it still has further to go, “its history and the experiences of other rich nations show the way forward. One reason the United States is a much better country today than it was a century ago is that the federal government does more to ensure economic security, equal opportunity, and shared prosperity. In the future, it will do more still, and the country will be better for it.”2 Perhaps the beginning of the resistance to right-wing populism in parts of Europe will spread to the United States sooner than we may think. 




1. Purdy, Jedediah. “Populism’s Two Paths.” The Nation, 13 Oct. 2016, https://www.thenation.com/article/the-two-populisms/.
2. Kenworthy, Lane. “America’s Social Democratic Future: The Arc of Policy Is Long But It Bends Toward Justice.” Foreign Affairs, January/February 2014 Issue, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2013-12-06/americas-social-democratic-future.

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