Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party
The election of Donald Trump and the rise of anti-immigrant parties throughout Europe have led many to define populism as exclusionary and anti-democratic. Yet inclusive, grassroots, and left-wing varieties of populism have also surged across the world in the same period. This paper aims to conceptu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institut des Amériques
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| Series: | IdeAs |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ideas/5833 |
| _version_ | 1797305953393049600 |
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| author | Rachel Meade |
| author_facet | Rachel Meade |
| author_sort | Rachel Meade |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The election of Donald Trump and the rise of anti-immigrant parties throughout Europe have led many to define populism as exclusionary and anti-democratic. Yet inclusive, grassroots, and left-wing varieties of populism have also surged across the world in the same period. This paper aims to conceptualize left populism through the discourse of its supporters. I draw on interviews and observations with supporters of Bernie Sanders and members of Occupy Wall Street in Northern Michigan, gathered before and after the 2016 presidential campaign. I find that left-wing populists feel that it has become harder for the average American to live a decent life due to growing corporate influence on institutions. Like right populists, they are outraged at the failures of elites to acknowledge people’s lived realities. However, unlike right populists, they acknowledge that minority populations face unique challenges. Contrary to theorists who claim that populism is incompatible with pluralism, I show that the left populist narrative of oppression by the “1%” allows for both difference and unity within the “people”. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:33:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d663431d1b22441599b7c446f172d5fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1950-5701 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:33:03Z |
| publisher | Institut des Amériques |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IdeAs |
| spelling | doaj.art-d663431d1b22441599b7c446f172d5fe2024-02-15T13:54:05ZengInstitut des AmériquesIdeAs1950-57011410.4000/ideas.5833Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea PartyRachel MeadeThe election of Donald Trump and the rise of anti-immigrant parties throughout Europe have led many to define populism as exclusionary and anti-democratic. Yet inclusive, grassroots, and left-wing varieties of populism have also surged across the world in the same period. This paper aims to conceptualize left populism through the discourse of its supporters. I draw on interviews and observations with supporters of Bernie Sanders and members of Occupy Wall Street in Northern Michigan, gathered before and after the 2016 presidential campaign. I find that left-wing populists feel that it has become harder for the average American to live a decent life due to growing corporate influence on institutions. Like right populists, they are outraged at the failures of elites to acknowledge people’s lived realities. However, unlike right populists, they acknowledge that minority populations face unique challenges. Contrary to theorists who claim that populism is incompatible with pluralism, I show that the left populist narrative of oppression by the “1%” allows for both difference and unity within the “people”.https://journals.openedition.org/ideas/5833nationalismpopulismpluralismsocial movementsOccupy Wall Street |
| spellingShingle | Rachel Meade Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party IdeAs nationalism populism pluralism social movements Occupy Wall Street |
| title | Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party |
| title_full | Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party |
| title_fullStr | Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party |
| title_full_unstemmed | Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party |
| title_short | Populist Narratives from Below: Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party |
| title_sort | populist narratives from below occupy wall street and the tea party |
| topic | nationalism populism pluralism social movements Occupy Wall Street |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ideas/5833 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rachelmeade populistnarrativesfrombelowoccupywallstreetandtheteaparty |