Citizenship After Trump: Democracy versus Authoritarianism in a Post-Pandemic Era

By: Bradley S. Klein and Scott G. Nelson

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Synopsis: In Citizenship after Trump, political theorists Bradley S. Klein and Scott G. Nelson explore the meaning of community in the context of intense political polarization, the surge of far-right nationalism and deepening divisions during the coronavirus pandemic. With both Trumpism and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic greatly testing American democracy, the authors examine the political, economic and cultural challenges that remain after the Trump administration’s exceedingly inept leadership response. They explore the promise and limits of democracy relative to long-standing traditions of American political thought. The book argues that all Americans to consider the claims of citizenship amidst the forces consolidating today around narrow conceptions of race, nation, ethnicity and religion – each of which imperils the institutions of democracy and strikes at the heart of the country’s political culture. Chapters on the media, political economy, fascism and social democracy, question what Americans have gotten so wrong, politically, and considers what kind of vision can lead the country out of a truly dangerous impasse in the years ahead. Citizenship after Trump constitutes a valuable and timely resource for self-critical analysis and will stimulate focused discussions about as-of-yet unexplored regions of America’s political history.