Polarization and Deep Contestations : The Liberal Script in the United States

Abstract

This book explores the deep contestations of the liberal script in the contemporary United States from a variety of perspectives. The US is today confronted with a crisis of democracy because of a profound ideological and affective polarization. The book argues that Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is a symptom as well as a catalyst rather than the cause of the contemporary contestations of the liberal script in the US. To discern their major drivers from a longue durée perspective, each chapter takes a step back asking: How can we best describe the current contestations of the liberal script in the US, exploring the extent to which the US is unique in comparison to other liberal democracies facing similar contestations? What are the main drivers and root causes that explain the current contestations and the crisis of American democracy they may precipitate? What have been and what are the likely consequences for the future of American democracy? The various authors discuss – among other topics - the US public sphere, populism, polarization, the Supreme Court, Christian evangelicalism, African-American contestations, as well as the consequences of the deep contestations for US foreign policy.