The age of discontent : populism, extremism, and conspiracy theories in contemporary democracies / Matthew Rhodes-Purdy, Rachel Navarre, Stephen Utych.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rhodes-Purdy, Matthew, author.

Navarre, Rachel, author.

Utych, Stephen Michael, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Financial crises--Psychological aspects.

Financial crises.

Financial crises--Political aspects.

Social conflict.

Radicalism.

Political psychology.

Emotions.

Conspiracy theories.

Physical Description:

xxi, 285 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 2023.

Summary:

"The years following the 2008 financial crisis produced a surge of political discontent with populism, conspiracism, and Far Right extremism rising across the world. Despite this timing, many of these movements coalesced around cultural issues rather than economic grievances. But if culture, and not economics, is the primary driver of political discontent, why did these developments emerge after a financial collapse, a pattern that repeats throughout the history of the democratic world? Using the framework of 'Affective Political Economy', The Age of Discontent demonstrates that emotions borne of economic crises produce cultural discontent, thus enflaming conflict over values and identities. The book uses this framework to explain the rise of populism and the radical right in the US, UK, Spain, and Brazil, and the social uprising in Chile. It argues that states must fulfill their roles as providers of social insurance and channels for citizen voices if they wish to turn back the tide of political discontent"-- Page [i].

Contents:

Introduction

Left behind vs. backlash : economic and cultural theories of democratic discontent

Affective political economy : the economic origins of democratic discontent

Affective political economy and political discontent : an experimental analysis

Frozen parties, failing markets : discontent in the United States and United Kingdom

Austerity, regionalism, and dueling populisms in Spain

Corruption, populism, and contentious politics in Brazil and Chile

The dogs that did not bark : how Canada, Portugal, and Uruguay avoided discontent

Populism in power : polarization, charismatic attachment, and conspiracy theories in Trump's America

Conclusions : is neoliberal democracy sustainable?

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 252-278) and index.

Other Format:

ebook version :

ISBN:

9781009279390

1009279394

OCLC:

1342981973