The New Nationalism in America and Beyond

Book excerpt: Across the West, there has been a resurgence of ethnic nationalism, populism, & anti-immigrant sentiment - a phenomenon that many commentators have called the 'new nationalism.' This book seeks to understand why the bastions of liberalism are proving to be fertile ground for a decidedly illiberal ideology. To do so, it examines three of the most successful exemplars of the new nationalism: Donald Trump in the US, Marine Le Pen in France, & Brexit in the UK. To understand the success of these new nationalists, it looks at the role of white majorities, their cultures, & their histories. Through a careful analysis of the social media campaigns of Trump, Le Pen, & the Brexit campaigners, the book shows how today's new nationalists are cultivating support from white majorities by drawing from long-standing myths & symbols to construct an image of the nation as an ethnic community.