Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian Capitalism
This paper analyses economic power, state power and ideological power in the age of Donald Trump with the help of critical theory. It applies the critical theory approaches of thinkers such as Franz Neumann, Theodor W. Adorno and Erich Fromm. It analyses changes of US capitalism that have together w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group
2017-01-01
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| Series: | tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique |
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| Online Access: | https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/835 |
| _version_ | 1797709537519599616 |
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| author | Christian Fuchs |
| author_facet | Christian Fuchs |
| author_sort | Christian Fuchs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper analyses economic power, state power and ideological power in the age of Donald Trump with the help of critical theory. It applies the critical theory approaches of thinkers such as Franz Neumann, Theodor W. Adorno and Erich Fromm. It analyses changes of US capitalism that have together with political anxiety and demagoguery brought about the rise of Donald Trump. This article draws attention to the importance of state theory for understanding Trump and the changes of politics that his rule may bring about. It is in this context important to see the complexity of the state, including the dynamic relationship between the state and the economy, the state and citizens, intra-state relations, inter-state relations, semiotic representations of and by the state, and ideology. Trumpism and its potential impacts are theorised along these dimensions. The ideology of Trump (Trumpology) has played an important role not just in his business and brand strategies, but also in his political rise. The (pseudo-)critical mainstream media have helped making Trump and Trumpology by providing platforms for populist spectacles that sell as news and attract audiences. By Trump making news in the media, the media make Trump. An empirical analysis of Trump’s rhetoric and the elimination discourses in his NBC show The Apprentice underpins the analysis of Trumpology. The combination of Trump’s actual power and Trump as spectacle, showman and brand makes his government’s concrete policies fairly unpredictable. An important question that arises is what social scientists’ role should be in the conjuncture that the world is experiencing.
See also the related blog post "How The Frankfurt School Helps Us To Understand Donald Trump’s Twitter Populism"
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/christian-fuchs1/how-the-frankfurt-school-_b_14156190.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-donald-trump
The German translation of this shorter piece was published in Der Falter 5/2017: 21-23. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:38:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-027238d611964a7fb1d9577d6c900fac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-670X 1726-670X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:38:45Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique |
| spelling | doaj.art-027238d611964a7fb1d9577d6c900fac2023-09-03T01:08:18ZengPaderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research GrouptripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique1726-670X1726-670X2017-01-0115117210.31269/triplec.v15i1.835835Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian CapitalismChristian Fuchs0University of Westminster, Westminster Institute for Advanced Studies & Communication and Media Research InstituteThis paper analyses economic power, state power and ideological power in the age of Donald Trump with the help of critical theory. It applies the critical theory approaches of thinkers such as Franz Neumann, Theodor W. Adorno and Erich Fromm. It analyses changes of US capitalism that have together with political anxiety and demagoguery brought about the rise of Donald Trump. This article draws attention to the importance of state theory for understanding Trump and the changes of politics that his rule may bring about. It is in this context important to see the complexity of the state, including the dynamic relationship between the state and the economy, the state and citizens, intra-state relations, inter-state relations, semiotic representations of and by the state, and ideology. Trumpism and its potential impacts are theorised along these dimensions. The ideology of Trump (Trumpology) has played an important role not just in his business and brand strategies, but also in his political rise. The (pseudo-)critical mainstream media have helped making Trump and Trumpology by providing platforms for populist spectacles that sell as news and attract audiences. By Trump making news in the media, the media make Trump. An empirical analysis of Trump’s rhetoric and the elimination discourses in his NBC show The Apprentice underpins the analysis of Trumpology. The combination of Trump’s actual power and Trump as spectacle, showman and brand makes his government’s concrete policies fairly unpredictable. An important question that arises is what social scientists’ role should be in the conjuncture that the world is experiencing. See also the related blog post "How The Frankfurt School Helps Us To Understand Donald Trump’s Twitter Populism" http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/christian-fuchs1/how-the-frankfurt-school-_b_14156190.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-donald-trump The German translation of this shorter piece was published in Der Falter 5/2017: 21-23.https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/835Donald Trumpcritical theorycapitalismpolitical economyFranz L. NeumannTheodor W. AdornoErich Frommauthoritarian statismstate theoryideology critiqueUSAUnited States politics2016 US presidential election |
| spellingShingle | Christian Fuchs Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian Capitalism tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique Donald Trump critical theory capitalism political economy Franz L. Neumann Theodor W. Adorno Erich Fromm authoritarian statism state theory ideology critique USA United States politics 2016 US presidential election |
| title | Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian Capitalism |
| title_full | Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian Capitalism |
| title_fullStr | Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian Capitalism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian Capitalism |
| title_short | Donald Trump: A Critical Theory-Perspective on Authoritarian Capitalism |
| title_sort | donald trump a critical theory perspective on authoritarian capitalism |
| topic | Donald Trump critical theory capitalism political economy Franz L. Neumann Theodor W. Adorno Erich Fromm authoritarian statism state theory ideology critique USA United States politics 2016 US presidential election |
| url | https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/835 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christianfuchs donaldtrumpacriticaltheoryperspectiveonauthoritariancapitalism |