American Politics Research Articles

The political and economic environment promoting growth in American wealth inequality

AbstractWealth inequality around the world is high and rising. In this paper, we argue that wealth inequality in the United States has been exacerbated by an environment favourable to the ultra‐wealthy. Three distinctive changes in the economic and political landscape have fostered the increase in inequality. First, campaign finance law abruptly changed after the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. This decision gave the ultra‐wealthy an outsized influence on American politics. Second, an increase in competition for executive talent drove CEO salaries to new heights. Demand increased for executives with general leadership skills as corporations grew larger, increasing competition in the market for executive talent. Third, because tax policy in the United States is subject to lobbying influences, those at the top of the wealth distribution are favoured, leading to further concentration in wealth. Our empirical results are consistent with the view that these changes resulted in an increase in disparity, shifting wealth from the 99% to the 1%.

Ends versus means? Ideology and support for repeals in the mass public

AbstractAn important, but poorly understood issue in modern American politics is the conservative wing of the Republican party's interest in repealing legislation. Although existing work shows that conservative Republican elites focus more on repeals than in past decades, it remains unclear what the public thinks about this governance approach. We examine this issue with a survey experiment asking respondents to evaluate four policy proposals in Congress, holding the “ends” constant but randomizing whether they are achieved by enacting a new law or repealing an existing law. Our results show that conservatives favor repeals as a legislative tool more so than liberals and moderates. We also show that this is the result of ideological, rather than partisan considerations. Our findings shed light on both the modern Republican party's approach to governance and a key issue at the nexus of mass attitudes, ideology, and legislative procedure.

Kody W. Cooper and Justin Buckley Dyer: The Classical and Christian Origins of American Politics: Political Theology, Natural Law, and the American Founding. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. Pp. xii, 238.)

Kody W. Cooper and Justin Buckley Dyer: The Classical and Christian Origins of American Politics: Political Theology, Natural Law, and the American Founding. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. Pp. xii, 238.)

Christian Nationalism, Civic Republicanism, and Radical Secularism in Contemporary American Politics over Time

Over the past decade, a burgeoning strand of scholarly and journalistic literature has emerged that emphasizes the role of Christian nationalism within contemporary American politics. Unfortunately, this scholarly literature has mushroomed so quickly that relatively little attention has been given to its conceptual underpinnings and how Christian nationalism may be related to, or different from, other conceptualizations of the role of religion in public life. This article outlines different conceptualizations of Christian nationalism that have been advanced, analyzes how different coding schemes of its present measurement yields different assessments of its presence within American politics, and differentiates between and among different types of approaches to the role of religion in American public life. Using data drawn from Baylor national surveys on religion conducted in 2007, 2017, and 2021, this article examines three distinct groups within American politics—namely, Christian nationalists, civic republicans, and radical secularists—and how the relative size and characteristics of such groups have changed within American society over time.

Populism's Challenges to Political Parties and Democracy - Taking the United States as an Example

In recent years, with the rise of populism around the world, the traditional party system and democratic system have encountered very serious challenges. This article mainly takes the United States as an example to explore in depth how populism affects American political parties and democratic governance. First, the development history of populism in the United States since the 20th century is analyzed and introduced, focusing on the impact of Trumpism in American politics. Secondly, it mainly explores the impact of populism on the internal structure and policy orientation of the two major political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, and deeply explores the role of populism in splitting party unity and reshaping party ideology. In addition, it also focuses on the role of populism in democracy from both positive and negative aspects. Finally, this article examines the challenges of American populism to the development of American democratic systems and political parties, including challenges to the electoral process, judicial independence, media freedom and public trust. This article believes that strengthening civic education and promoting party reform can better cope with the impact of populism and enable the healthy development of the democratic system.

Covid-19 in American Political Speeches: A Discourse Analysis

During the time of COVID-19, politicians around the world delivered different ideological speeches. The study in hand aims at identifying the types and triggers presupposition that exist in American political COVID-19 speeches. This is to uncover the crucial role that linguistic factors in shaping political leaders’ communication strategies during pandemics. Particularly, how preferences and implicit motivations are expressed. In doing this, the study limits itself to analyses presupposition in political speeches delivered by four key figures — Governor Gavin Newsome, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Secretary Anthony Blinken, and Secretary Alex Azar — during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodologically, the analysis draws on Yule (1996) and Levinson (1983). The results show that lexical presuppositions are the most frequently encountered, followed by structural and existential presuppositions, besides a variety of types of presuppositions triggers used in discourses.

"We Don't Need Any More Martyrs": Anti-War Protests at the University of Iowa 1970

This thesis argues that the May 1970 anti-Vietnam War protests at the University of Iowa were nonviolent compared to similar demonstrations at other colleges. This was due to the actions of University President Willard “Sandy” Boyd, who was able to strike a delicate balance between maintaining civil order and protecting the right to protest. Students protested the joint U.S.-South Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and the killings of students at Kent State University during a time of intense political upheaval. American politicians and citizens debated how to handle the war in Vietnam best and what course of action to take when coping with anti-war demonstrations. This thesis examines the protests at the University of Iowa to understand better the local political dynamics and how local leaders coped with a dynamic political environment. This thesis uses sources from the University of Iowa archives, the Iowa State Historical Society, and the Daily Iowan archives. While many college and government officials chose to adopt repressive stances towards the protests that occurred nationally, the Iowa protests were de-escalated without any deaths. This resolution gives current elected officials a model of how to maintain civil order without violating the rights of American citizens.

Gauging growth in undergraduate information literacy: A case study in library-faculty collaboration

How do academic librarians and teaching faculty assess the impact we exert on students' capabilities as researchers? This paper describes the authors' unique six-week approach to incorporating library instruction into a research assignment for students in introductory Teacher Education and American Politics classes. We constructed a pre- and post- instruction survey that measured change in students' attitudes toward 1) their own level of information literacy, 2) their skills as researchers, and 3) the usefulness of the library's resources. The survey consisted of statements regarding students' attitudes toward the aforementioned categories, measuring agreement on a 6-point scale. We conducted this survey over three consecutive semesters (N = 208). We find that students began the project with high degrees of confidence in their own knowledge and abilities, but also increased their confidence in all categories. Moreover, the change between the pre- and post-project survey was statistically significant on all questions, as assessed by a difference of means test.

The Point of No Return: A Review Essay

Abstract Thomas Byrne Edsall is one of America's finest political journalists and a foremost amplifier of the work of political scientists and other scholars. Academic research bolsters his argument in virtually every chapter of The Point of No Return. The book is a collection of his New York Times columns, bookended by a new introduction and conclusion, spanning the period from Donald Trump's rise in the 2016 election to his attempt to overturn the presidential election four years later. A remarkable feature of Edsall's columns is how quickly he diagnosed emerging developments that would come to define our politics, including the Republican Establishment's rapid descent, Trump's unwavering and cult-like following, the pernicious effects of disinformation, the Democratic Party's inept response to social and cultural change, and the likelihood that Trump would not surrender power peacefully if he lost the 2020 election. A running theme throughout the book is the danger that Trump poses to the nation's democracy. The Point of No Return is the latest book in the four-decade career of a journalist who regularly has enlarged our understanding of American politics.

Exploring the evolution of the concept of liberty in the U.S. presidential inaugurals

Abstract As daily news unveils, fundamental human values such as equality and liberty can be expressed through various terms influenced by multiple factors, reaching significant levels of disparity, ambiguity and controversy, particularly in specific socio-political contexts. This article employs advanced corpus analysis tools to examine the lexical and semantic configuration of the “right to liberty” as expressed in the U.S. Declaration of Independence and as North American presidents have transmitted it throughout their presidential inaugural addresses. The corpus of speeches is analyzed diachronically to identify the prevalent terms, connotations, and associated semantic categories and observe their differences and evolution. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the concept of liberty in this context and highlights its startling malleability in American politics.

Native American and Indigenous Language Practices and Politics

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the years between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages in an attempt to promote language “preservation, revitalization and promotion.” Such statements convey more than advocacy; they also convey complex politics and histories surrounding settler-colonial and Indigenous encounters through, with, and for Indigenous languages and community practices. What will those encounters look and sound like at the end of the decade? This review traces trajectories toward possible outcomes and political configurations.

Legacy of the Religious Right and the U.S. Presidential Election of 1980

Political parties have evolved throughout the history of the United States, yet we have never seen such a polarizing state of politics as we see in 2024. Through the use of academic journals and speeches, this paper explains the turbulent state of U.S. politics by exploring the increased involvement of the Religious Right in politics. Starting with the history of the Religious Right and focusing on the U.S. presidential election in 1980, this paper outlines how the increased activity of the Religious Right has caused a divide in American politics. It will discuss how the presidential election of 1980 solidified a religious voting bloc. The paper also reviews the increased use of religious rhetoric especially during George W. Bush’s presidency (2001-2009). This paper finds that the inclusion of religion in secular matters has proven to be provocative. Yet, the Religious Right strives to protect the “traditional family” by encouraging participation in politics, especially on topics such as abortion, women’s rights, and gay rights.

When Gestures also Argue: Multimodal Viewpoint Shift as a Rhetorical Strategy in American Political Talk Shows

Drawing on Mental Spaces Theory and Conceptual Blending Theory in Cognitive Linguistics, we examine the interaction between speech and co-speech gestures in The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Statistical analysis shows that viewpoint shift in the self-built multimodal corpus, generally following the pattern: Base Space->News Narrative Space(->Base space)->Source Viewpoint Space(+)(->Base space), is significantly related to the use of verbal markers and gestural types. Moreover, multimodal viewpoint shift in political talk shows can achieve such rhetorical functions as enhancing ironic effects, solidifying and highlighting opposing positions, and simplifying political issues. Since verbal markers and gestures can mobilize the audience’s embodied experience by primarily activating mental images and motor programs, we claim that mental simulation and perspective taking play a pivotal role in the cognitive processing of multimodal viewpoint shifts by promoting viewpoint alignment between the audience and the host.

Senior Discount? Gender, Age, and Small Donor Fundraising

Recent discussions surrounding candidate age and its impact on small donor fundraising have raised questions about ageism in American politics. However, existing studies of age in politics largely neglect the specific obstacles encountered by older female candidates. This paper, which examines the impact of age and gender on small contribution receipts in U.S. House of Representatives campaigns from 2006-2010, aims to address the following questions: How do age and gender interact to predict small contribution receipts? What are the implications for fundraising of older women candidates compared to their male counterparts? The findings reveal a significant negative interaction between age and gender, indicating that older female candidates experience a pronounced reduction in small contribution receipts compared to older male candidates. This suggests that age-related biases intersect with gender, posing unique challenges for older women candidates in fundraising efforts.

From a ‘Peaceful and Prosperous China’ to ‘the China Virus’: Examining the Framing of China Through American Political Rhetoric

Abstract The period comprising the past thirty-two years since the collapse of the Soviet Union has seen a range of approaches taken by the United States in handling its relationship with China. Launched in November 2011, the ‘Pivot to Asia’ policy approach entailed new levels of engagement with ‘a peaceful and prosperous China’, but on the most challenging issues this approach also brought increasing confrontation. The West (in this case the United States) has a history of utilising Orientalist-style, ‘us vs them’ dichotomies to manipulate unequal relations of power with the East (known as the ‘Orient’) throughout history (originally with middle-eastern nations). By using tenets from Edward Said’s Orientalism and critical discourse analysis adapted from Normal Fairclough’s 3-dimensional model, this article seeks to establish whether the foreign policy rhetoric of the United States has shifted to frame China through an Orientalist worldview since the Obama Administration’s “Pivot to Asia” strategy in late 2011. The article analyses 52 speeches from the Obama and Trump Administrations, finding evidence of pro-orientalist themes and language being adopted for both. Whilst utilised to a lower degree, these ‘us vs them’ dichotomies do exist under President Obama’s more accommodating and calmer linguistic-style, being intertwined with language designed to project an image of welcoming cooperation (albeit in a condescending, back-handed way). The use of orientalist themes is more prominently provable under President Trump, with almost all major speeches pertaining to China containing high usage of orientalist tropes in a more openly xenophobic, racist fashion.

The Impact of Discourse-Based Learning on Student Civic Engagement, Polarization, and Topic Comprehension

School often serves as the first opportunity for students to learn about civics. However, current systems of civics education may not be adequately preparing students to become actively engaged citizens. Given the growing discontent and polarization in American politics, there is a need for educational solutions to stimulate civic engagement and unity. While previous studies have shown that “interactive civic activities” can increase students’ interest in American civics, less is known about the efficacy of non-partisan, discourse-based learning techniques in fostering open-mindedness and a comprehensive understanding of political issues. These prompted researchers at the Institute for Youth in Policy (YIP) to study this topic. Researchers analyzed pre- and post-workshop data from a virtual workshop (n=36) and found that discourse-based civics programs are effective in decreasing polarization levels, increasing topic comprehension, and promoting civic engagement among youth.

Rural residency, rural resentment, and attitudes toward public land management in the United States

ABSTRACT Disparate urban and rural lived experiences contribute to the geographic divide in American politics. We expect this to be especially true for environmental politics because of urban-rural differences in exposure to natural resources. We demonstrate that Americans are broadly supportive of public lands and that ruralites are slightly more supportive of public land management compared to the non-rural. However, a crucial exception to general rural attitudes is highly resentful ruralites are uniquely and dramatically unsupportive of public lands and direct their resentment at the federal government especially. This research clarifies the nationalized nature of the urban-rural divide by highlighting that the preferences of resentful rural Americans are in stark contrast to the rest of society, even the rest of rural America. Nevertheless, when a minority’s unpopular opinions on the management of America’s natural resources overshadow more moderate and modal positions it fuels fringe movements like the Sagebrush Rebellion.

Is the U.S. Supreme Court Facing a Crisis of Democratic Legitimacy? A Review Article

Abstract Kevin McMahon's A Supreme Court Unlike Any Other examines the extent to which the current Supreme Court—and its conservative supermajority—departs from earlier courts in the extent to which it suffers from a “democracy gap.” McMahon persuasively argues that the current Court is different for two reasons. First, most of the justices in the conservative majority were appointed by presidents who did not win the popular vote and/or were confirmed by senators who represented fewer voters than the senators who opposed them. Second, the homogenization of nominee experience and background has created a “judicial aristocracy” in which the justices are experientially far removed from the elected branches. One puzzle this account raises is why this democracy gap took so long to emerge, given the institutional design of the Court. But given the current polarized state of American politics, the same forces that brought us to the reality of the conservative supermajority are unlikely to abate for quite some time.

The neural mechanisms of race priming in American politics

Abstract What are the psychological mechanisms of racial “dog whistles” in American politics? Literature on race priming in American politics argues when race is primed implicitly, racial biases influence political evaluations, but when race is made salient, individuals can use controlled processing to inhibit automatic biases and abide by egalitarian norms. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these processes have yet to be examined directly. In a 2 × 2 within-groups experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examine these neural mechanisms. We find brain areas associated with conflict detection, evaluative processing, and controlled processing are more active when race is primed explicitly rather than implicitly, as expected, although we do not find substantial brain activation associated with automatic responses to be more active during implicit than explicit primes. Results are discussed in terms of understanding how racial cues influence political evaluations while considering America’s ever-changing racial norms.

Trends and topics: Characterizing echo chambers’ topological stability and in-group attitudes

Nowadays, online debates focusing on a wide spectrum of topics are often characterized by clashes of polarized communities, each fiercely supporting a specific stance. Such debates are sometimes fueled by the presence of echo chambers, insulated systems whose users’ opinions are exacerbated due to the effect of repetition and by the active exclusion of opposite views. This paper offers a framework to explore how echo chambers evolve through time, considering their users’ interaction patterns and the content/attitude they convey while addressing specific controversial issues. The framework is then tested on three Reddit case studies focused on sociopolitical issues (gun control, American politics, and minority discrimination) during the first two years and a half of Donald Trump’s presidency and on an X/Twitter dataset involving BLM discussion tied to the EURO 2020 football championship. Analytical results unveil that polarized users will likely keep their affiliation to echo chambers in time. Moreover, we observed that the attitudes conveyed by Reddit users who joined risky epistemic enclaves are characterized by a slight inclination toward a more negative or neutral attitude when discussing particularly sensitive issues (e.g., fascism, school shootings, or police violence) while X/Twitter ones often tend to express more positive feelings w.r.t. those involved into less polarized communities.