Donald Trump - a populist threat to American democracy?
Abstract
In recent years, a noticeable democratic decline has swept across the world, including the United States. The rise of extremist and radical-right populist and authoritarian behavior in powerful political figures and major political parties is cause for great concern. Although some scholars argue that populism can function as both a threat or a corrective for democracy, there seems to be widespread consensus in the field that populism in fact constitutes a threat to liberal democracy. These extremist ideologies used to be confined to the opposition and unsuccessful minority movements but have in the United States found its way into the Republican Party and the highest office with the election of Donald Trump for president in 2016. Although Trump undoubtedly does extremely well among his supporters, many are worried about what his far-right views might mean for the future of American democracy.
As the presumptive candidate for the Republican Party ahead of the upcoming election in November 2024, Donald Trump is preparing for his third presidential campaign. It thus seems relevant to analyze the rhetoric he uses on social media to attract and reach voters. This thesis explores the presence of populist elements in Donald Trump’s Instagram posts by the use of content analysis, and aims to answer the following questions: (1) How does Donald Trump use Instagram to spread a populist ideology? and (2) In what way can Donald Trump’s populist ideology be a threat to democracy in the U.S.?