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The Far-Right Threat in the United States: A European Perspective

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  • Cas Mudde

Abstract

The rise of Donald Trump has weakened the dominance of the “American exceptionalism†paradigm in analyses of U.S. politics, but the pivot to views of the United States as part of a global trend toward democratic backsliding ignores important, uniquely “American†cultural, historical, and institutional attributes that make the country more at risk for democratic erosion than most other established democracies. This short article puts Trump, and his Republican Party, into the broader comparative perspective of (European) far-right studies. I argue that Trump in many ways fits the “fourth wave†of postwar far-right politics, lay out the unique challenge that the United States is facing in terms of democratic erosion, and draw on the case of Viktor Orbán in Hungary to learn lessons for the United States. The article ends with some suggestions of how democrats (not just Democrats) should address the far-right Republican challenge to U.S. democracy.

Suggested Citation

  • Cas Mudde, 2022. "The Far-Right Threat in the United States: A European Perspective," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 101-115, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:699:y:2022:i:1:p:101-115
    DOI: 10.1177/00027162211070060
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lee Drutman, 2022. "Moderation, Realignment, or Transformation? Evaluating Three Approaches to America’s Crisis of Democracy," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 158-174, January.
    2. Kim, Seongcheol, 2021. "… Because the homeland cannot be in opposition: analysing the discourses of Fidesz and Law and Justice (PiS) from opposition to power," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 37(2), pages 332-351.
    3. Jacob M. Grumbach & Jamila Michener, 2022. "American Federalism, Political Inequality, and Democratic Erosion," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 143-155, January.
    4. Hahrie Han & Jae Yeon Kim, 2022. "Civil Society, Realized: Equipping the Mass Public to Express Choice and Negotiate Power," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 175-185, January.
    5. Dan Slater, 2022. "Threats or Gains: The Battle over Participation in America’s Careening Democracy," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 90-100, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Donald Moynihan, 2022. "Delegitimization, Deconstruction and Control: Undermining the Administrative State," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 36-49, January.
    2. Cristiano Gianolla & Lisete Mónico & Manuel João Cruz, 2024. "Emotion Narratives on the Political Culture of Radical Right Populist Parties in Portugal and Italy," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 12.

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