Citizenship after Trump: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism in a Post-Pandemic Era

What is the fate of democracy at this moment in American history? In Citizenship after Trump, political theorists Bradley S. Klein and Scott G. Nelson explore the meaning of community in the context of intense political polarization, the surge of far-right nationalism and deepening divisions during the coronavirus pandemic. The book urges all Americans to consider the claims of citizenship amidst the forces consolidating today around narrow conceptions of race, nation, ethnicity and religion – each of which imperil the institutions of democracy and strike at the heart of the nation’s political culture.

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic greatly testing American democracy, the authors examine the political, economic and cultural challenges that are posed after the Trump administration’s exceedingly inept leadership response. They also explore the promise and limits of democracy relative to long-standing traditions of American political thought. Citizenship after Trump thus offers valuable and timely resources for self-critical analysis and will stimulate focused discussions about as-of-yet unexplored regions of America’s political history. With chapters on the media, political economy, fascism and social democracy, the aim of this book is to question what Americans have gotten so wrong, politically, and what kind of vision can lead the country out of a truly dangerous impasse in the years ahead.