The research paper attempts to explain the election of former business man and TV personality Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the US. Even though struggling in the polls during his inexplicable and unprecedented election campaign, he managed to win the presidential election against his opponent Hillary Clinton on the 8th November 2016.
Trump was able to profit from a progress taking place in America for decades, separating the population into liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. He ran an election campaign of nostalgia and used the populist, anti-establishment fraction of his party for his own sake. Moreover, Trump had the "perfect" opponent Hillary Clinton, since she was seen as the prototype of the political elite in Washington.
In order to analyze the background of the presidential election, the author refers to several scientific books and various surveys concerning American politics and the American population.
It is hoped that this research paper successfully informs the reader about the reasons behind the victory of Donald J. Trump.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Overview
2.1 Literature
2.2 Background Information
3. Analysis
3.1 America as a Divided Country
3.2 Campaign Against All Elites
3.3 Clinton as Trump’s Political Opponent
4. Conclusion
4.1 Final Answer to Research Questions
4.2 Prospect: The 2020 Election
Research Objectives & Key Themes
The research paper aims to analyze the factors contributing to the political polarization in the United States leading up to the 2016 presidential election, examining how Donald Trump utilized this social divide and the impact of Hillary Clinton's nomination on his campaign strategy.
- The historical development of political polarization in the US since the 1960s.
- Donald Trump's campaign strategy of appealing to anti-establishment sentiment.
- The rhetorical use of nostalgia and media controversy to consolidate support.
- The impact of Hillary Clinton’s public image and campaign management on the election outcome.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Campaign Against All Elites
The Trump campaign was quick to use these shifts within the population for their own purpose. As early as the primaries he decided to pursue a strategy of “[tapping] into the growing populist, anti-establishment sentiment within the Republican base that first emerged with the rise of the Tea Party in 2010”. He also turned his back towards traditional Republican Party positions concerning economy, allowing him to cast his mainstream Republican rivals as “elites” and “insiders” bent on maintaining their economic domination over regular Americans20.
However, most importantly he painted a gloomy picture of life in the US today – decline, failed government and danger, “the integrity of society and its organic structure violated [by the] ruling elite”21, in other words by the Democrats. In his speeches, Trump makes use of “three dimensions of time and divides the future’s one into two different alternatives: 1. The US has had a golden age. 2. The country is currently dilapidated. 3. The future could 3.1 either be a prospering development like the one in [the nation’s] past; 3.2 or end in even greater disaster”.22
Trump divided the nation’s prospects into the utopian one (cf. point 3.1) in case he was going to be elected and a dystopian one (cf. point 3.2) in case his opponent Hillary Clinton was going to be elected. The central point he wanted to make was that only he was able to establish a basis for the resurgence of the US. Nevertheless, it can be noted that “it remains unclear which new system, which methods could bring improvement”23.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the shock of the 2016 election and sets the scope for investigating the political landscape and Trump's campaign strategies.
2. Overview: Provides the literary basis and foundational biographical information about Donald Trump and the context of American political history.
3. Analysis: Investigates the roots of American polarization, Trump's populist tactics against elites, and the strategic disadvantages faced by the Clinton campaign.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the research findings regarding Trump's victory and offers an outlook on the political climate leading into the 2020 election.
Keywords
Political Polarization, 2016 Election, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Populism, Anti-establishment, Electoral Strategy, Media Coverage, American Dream, Tea Party, Swing States, Email-Affair, Political Elites, Nostalgia, Democracy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the socio-political context of the 2016 US presidential election, specifically how deep-seated political polarization and populist rhetoric enabled Donald Trump's victory.
What are the central themes explored?
Key themes include the decline of trust in government, the role of income disparity, the influence of political scandals, and the effectiveness of anti-establishment campaign strategies.
What is the primary research question?
The research explores how American politics became polarized, how Trump successfully exploited this polarization, and to what extent Hillary Clinton's nomination served as a strategic advantage for Trump.
Which methodology is applied in this study?
The work utilizes a qualitative analysis of political literature, historical background research, survey data from institutions like PEW and Gallup, and an evaluation of campaign events and media impact.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The analysis covers the historical roots of division in the US, Trump's specific campaign methods such as leveraging nostalgia, his media strategy of "dominance via controversy," and the specific faults of the Clinton campaign.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Central terms include Political Polarization, Populism, Anti-establishment, Electoral Strategy, and Media Coverage.
How did nostalgia function as a tool in Trump's campaign?
According to the author, Trump used nostalgia as a rhetorical device to create a longing for a perceived "golden age," which helped discredit established standards and foster a sense of "In-Group cohesion" against an "internal enemy."
What role did the "email-affair" play in the final election results?
The email-affair is identified as a major factor that damaged Clinton’s credibility, allowing Trump to resurge his "Crooked Hillary" accusations and sway independent voters, despite the investigation ultimately finding no incriminating evidence.
- Citar trabajo
- Eva Marx (Autor), 2018, Political Polarization in the USA and the 2016 Election, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/498029
