Political Science Reaction Paper: “Trump and American Populism: Old Whine New Bottles” In the article “Trump and American Populism: Old Whine New Bottles” author Michael Kazin discusses the deep political history of populism in the United States as well as the new wave of American populism seemingly sparked by the former Presidential candidate, and now (unfortunately) President Donald Trump. Throughout his writing, Kazin explains that Trump's populist ideals/rhetoric have been present in the United States long before he entered the American political arena. Furthermore, according to Kazin, Trump relied on some of the classic American populist themes during his campaign which assisted him greatly in gaining the support of many Americans. Kazin …show more content…
I thought Kazin did a good job of highlighting the historical themes of populism in the United States. Additionally, Kazin effectively demonstrated how these themes are present, but certainly not new, when it comes to the politics of the former president-elect and now president Donald Trump. However, what continually shocks me in regards to Donald Trump as a populist is his ability to convince the “Average American” (white working class Americans) that he is truly in touch with their struggles and looking out for their best interest—as he is extremely detached and unenlightened in regards to the lifestyle of an “Average American.” However, due much to Trump’s populist rhetoric, he has certainly gained a strong support base that is often unwavering (though it seems). Another point Kazin brought up which I found notable was the positive effects of populism in the United States. Populism is often described as a negative phenomenon in politics. Thus, often one is not exposed to the good outcomes populism has brought. However, in my opinion, the Donald Trump and the populism he is bringing (right-wing populism) will bring much more harm than good to the United States and should be eradicated as soon as democratically possible— perhaps with a populist who is truly for the people (ie. Bernie